Outside shoes should not be worn inside

Before reading this article, I would like to preface that I do not judge anyone for wearing shoes inside their house, it does not inherently make someone gross.  

Every time I go to someone’s house, or every time someone comes to my house, one question is always asked: “Should I take my shoes off?” The answer to that in my house will almost always be yes, no shoes! Not wearing shoes inside is the same as wanting to wash your hands after being out in the world. Who wants to spread all the grossness and germs from what you touched into your house? Your house is supposed to be a safe haven, and how can it be a place where you relax and let go of the stressors from the day if you’re only thinking about how you should probably clean? 

This does not make me a germaphobe. I just like to feel comfortable at the end of the day. Shoes are made to protect your feet from the dangers of the outside world, emphasis on the outside world. Someone’s house, and especially someone’s BED, is not the outside world. I have never understood why people would want to wear their shoes, which have walked through all kinds of excreted wastes, gum, dirt, bugs, worms and other things universally deemed gross, into their house or bed. Wearing shoes inside completely defeats the purpose of cleaning and personal hygiene. Another thing to consider is that if someone eats a piece of food off of their floor, they’re technically consuming all of the germs from the bottom of their shoe. Ew.

I can understand why people wear shoes inside their house. Wearing shoes feels more comfortable than not wearing shoes for a lot of people, including myself. Sometimes, taking off shoes is inconvenient, or people do not have the mobility to take off their shoes on their own without discomfort. Some of these issues are exceptions to the “no wearing shoes inside” rule at my house. In these situations, the worst case scenario is that someone, not me, can just clean the floor later.

However, in most situations, the way shoes contaminate people’s houses override the possible benefits of wearing them inside. I hope that I have persuaded you to become an adherent to the “no-shoes” policy.