Tuesday, July 1, 2008

The Shoeless Household: Outfit Spoiler Or Floor Saver?

A friend of ours has a new seat in his apartment. He keeps it by the door so that you'll have a place to sit while you take off your shoes. He's not doing it for religious reasons, he's asking guests to mess up their outfits or snag their stockings because he wants to keep his beautiful wood floors beautiful. 

He doesn't provide slippers but he wears slippers and he doesn't have any rugs. What's a well dressed guest to do? 

You could travel with your own slippers, or the 'savior of floors' host could buy the same paper slippers nail salons provide their customers with after a pedicures.  Since he's a guy he probably doesn't understand that wood and stockings don't mix and this can become a pricey practice for him. We think that in the event of snags, he should pay for a new pantyhose.  What about the rest of the outfit? Who wants their pants sweeping the floor because the perfect length just became a little too long without the heel height? We see the possibility of other people's dry cleaning bills in his future.

What happened to making guests comfortable? When you invite people into your home they should spend their time comfortably. Also, some people have really ugly feet and maybe they don't want others to see them. This could also be a deal breaker for two people meeting for the first time. And do we as guests have the right to ask when was the last time his floor was cleaned? Something about a roomful of people padding around with no shoes is odd, it's as if everyone just got a little too familiar too soon.  
 
We think our friend should re-think this issue because it is racked with issues. Years ago plastic covers were used to protect furniture. In the winter the plastic was cold, the cheap stuff would start to crack. In the summer you would try and get up and take the plastic covered cushion with you. It was a mess and so is asking people to take their shoes off. 

What do you think?




4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Maybe he should leave a bottle of Murphy's Oil Soap by the door that you could spray on your feet, so you could actually beautify and preserve the floor while you visit? My sister-in-law actually has a sign at her door when guests come over telling them to remove their shoes. We don't ask guests to take their shoes off at our house, but we walk around shoeless all the time. There are dozens of pairs of shoes sitting by the garage entrance to the basement. It is not pretty...

Anonymous said...

In japan and in many other eastern cultures , people take their shoes off when they enter a dwelling.

There must be a better reason for it !

You might want to find out....

Anonymous said...

Many of my family members do this at their homes, I do it myself. My sister ,however, provides cheap socks in a basket when she is having guests for that awkward moment of seeing bare feet.

Just look at it this way...you just prevented a guest, who might of stepped in something outside and didn't realize it, from ruining your beautiful wood or carpeted floors...it happens

Anonymous said...

As a guest, it would be rude to argue or make the host feel bad about it. High heels can really damage wood floors. Just know to bring some socks next time you visit. Maybe keep a pair in the car. Shoeless households are not uncommon these days.