Is it? No bird shit on it, ever? No dog ever peed on it? No residual dog shit on it? No insect residue? No miscellaneous pollution? No one ever threw up on it? (I was once leaving a supermarket and saw someone exit the store, pause briefly, and barf on the sidewalk.)
Try walking around barefoot on public streets and sidewalks for a bit and then look at the undersides of your feet. They will pretty much be black. It may even take some real scrubbing to get them clean. This is what the soles of your shoes look like all the time. Now, when I’m too old for unhygienic bullshit, I slip on a pair of sandals or something even when rolling a garbage bin to the end of my own driveway. And then, when back in the house, I take them off!.
You contradict yourself. Someone planning on staying the night would take their shoes off? Why would they do that, if they were more comfortable with shoes on? Surely someone planning on staying the night would make themself more comfortable.
We have a 40-y/o trawler, and the previous owner was less than diligent about maintenance, so the wood on the decks is in rough shape. Not that it matters - I’m never barefoot on board, nor have I ever removed my shoes on any of the other boats we’ve owned over the years (4 different sailboats.) It’s always boat shoes or sneakers - in fact the only time I might have worn hard soles was when we lived aboard and I was dressed for work. I find it painful to go barefoot in any situation.
We’ve been to many a boat show where, before you board any vessel, you leave your shoes on the dock. I understand why that rule is enforced, especially with brand new boats. I can deal with being uncomfortable for however long it takes to oooh and aaaah over the pristine, shiny newness of million-dollar palaces that I could never afford.
As an aside, it seems shoes on/off is the same debate as how one hangs their TP. One side can’t convince the other. It’s a no-win conversation.
Or at least ask. Most people that come automatically take their shoes off, but sometimes it could be for some quick reason, and I’ll tell them to leave them on. I swear I haven’t had a visitor in over 20 years that just walked in without taking their shoes off, or at least offering to.
I recently moved from a remote mountain house. ‘Gravel’ drive and ‘road.’ Never had any problems scratching our floors. We also had tons of snow, no problem with that either.
Also have two active dogs that have a doggie door. I don’t put shoes on them and then take them off. No problem there.
Floors are meant to be walked on. If you MUST take off your shoes in my house, well, OK, but there is absolutely no need to unless you walk around in filth. You won’t walk in filth to get to my house.
I take it then, that you wear shoes in your own home at all times. Not everyone does. Even a lot of people who don’t ask guests to go shoeless go barefoot at home.
You can do things however you want to, really - I don’t insist that visitors take their shoes off and it’s fine with me if you insist I leave mine on at your house. But even if you live in such a place that no one ever walks or walks their dog in front of your house and no wild/feral animals leave calling cards outside your house , you have no idea where my shoes were before I got to your house.
Same with pets that go outdoors. I’m assuming most dogs go for walks, visit the dog park, doing doggie things much that we would not want in our homes. Rolling around on the ground, digging pawing, licking chewing god knows what filth.
Then they come home and do they remove their shoes before jumping on the couch?
Some folks who might visit I dont want to see their bare feet or see their skanky socks. No Phil please keep your boat shoes on.
Yes. Shower, dress put on socks and shoes. I take my shoes off before I go to bed (or if I notice they got dirty).
If I don’t take a shower right away I have some Keen sort of hard soled slippers I can wear. Even though our house is very clean, I do not go barefoot. My Wife does all the time.
My typical shoe is a low hiking boot. Sort of a cross between a real hiking boot and a tennis shoe. Very comfortable. Good traction.
We have dogs, we walk in the yard. We clean up their poop, I mow the lawn. We walk to dog parks, there are poop bags and places to dispose of same. People are very, very good about doing that.
There is open space behind our house again now too. Lots of trails. I’ve never seen an errant poop.
And then what? If your floor looks clean and feels clean, who cares if it actually is clean or not? You’re not going to catch the Plague from floor germs.
There’s always going to be a certain amount of dirt in your life - as long as you make an effort manage it, and as long as you have have a functioning immune system, then there are more important things to worry about.
Exactly. In my house, you can either wear shoes or go barefoot - walking around in socks is strictly forbidden. We shower every day and I wash the floor once a week, and we’re all just fine.
Of course. But these things are a simple cost/benefit tradeoff. How hard is it to just take off your shoes when you enter the house, versus floor-washing, carpet vacuuming, and carpet shampooing? A clean house is always a combination of cleaning and minimizing contamination.
Sucks, because I may do it a dozen times a day. Probably more. So off 12 times and then on 12 times. Or can I wear shoes in the garage or on the back patio? Is that OK? Can I walk my dogs through grass? My shoes don’t get dirty. How about mowing and coming inside for a beer?
Those aren’t straw men. I think the shoes off inside always policy is rather strange.
Our floors are LVP. Stuff is bullet proof, and somehow, very clean, because our shoes are clean (our dogs, not so much, but we deal with it).
You might want to modify your lifestyle, but in general, the solution to that is shoes that are easy to slip into and out of, like sandals and slip-on loafers. Shoes don’t need to resemble Himalayan mountain boots if you’re not actually climbing Everest. This is consistent with my preference of wearing shoes that are as close as possible to “none”, and actually none if at all feasible.
