Any public place is dirtier than a home, cause hopefully you clean your home surfaces more often. It's like comparing a public toilet to a household toilet. I'm sure if you want your kids to have a good immune system, so then you dont wipe their hands after playing in the park or have them change their clothing before jumping onto a bed?? Never know if shoes has stepped on dog poo poo and wiped it on your front yard grass then walked around in your house. I guess its your house. Oh well everyone gets to do what they wish its a free country ^^

So the point here is not about fussy but keeping germ levels to the lowest so younger kids or people with weaker immune systems wont get sick so easily. It may not be that people is fussy about their rug or whatsoever (or maybe it is 89% of the time) but there is sanitary standard with each and every person.

I grew up on a farm...loads of mud in the yard...so we were in big trouble with Mum if we ever wore our shoes into the house. Friends who had grown up in town (ie with paved driveways and footpaths everywhere you might want to tread - so no great need to remove shoes) would visit and it wouldn't occur to them to take their shoes off - it was never pretty - MUD (and LOTS of it) tramped all through the house. I always thought they were SO rude and incosiderate for not removing shoes.

I generally remove shoes at someone's house, unless they say don't bother. It's habit. But if it's a larger gathering with lots of people I don't. It's just a bit too weird being around semi-strangers with bare/stockinged/sock feet ...plus if you're all dressed up, taking off shoes can seriously ruin your outfit! If they're fabulous shoes you want to show them off!

Now about Debi and the trousers...pants...(whatever you like to call them in your neck of the woods!) - I know a couple who went out and bought a gorgeous set of new WHITE lounge furniture...then proceeded to ban anyone, including visitors, from sitting on them if they were wearing jeans, or dark trousers. So Debi, unless you were wearing white then yes, you would be expected to remove your trousers in that house, LOL.

Re: the issue of workmen/tradespeople wearing shoes - it becomes a safety issue in many situations.

If they're carrying in a heavy fridge or washing machine, using certain tools or lifting other heavy objects then they should be wearing steel toed boots, for obvious reasons. Also, if for example the electrician needs to climb a ladder to get up into the roof cavity, then it's not appropriate to be climbing ladders in (slippery) sock feet. I don't think anyone's no-shoe rule should apply to tradespeople - or to people delivering cakes. I daresay that hopping around on one leg to remove shoes while balancing a cake on your head may not be the wisest move!

I just ran across this thread and thought it was interesting that there appear to be two distinct trains of thought:
1. My house, my rules and if you are being given the opportunity to visit my home you should do as I ask
2. The guest in my home should feel comfortable and their feelings are paramount.
I think it is very interesting that these are basically opposites in that one the concern is focused on their selves (homeowner) and the other, the concern is focused on the guest.
I was brought up that you should always treat your guests well and I would never embarrass a guest by asking them to remove their shoes. I clean regularly and always after having guests over so it does not matter to me if they wish to keep their shoes on. I would never dream of telling someone to remove their shoes and giving them an ultimatum that either the shoes come off or they cannot come into my home. I have gone to other's homes where the rule is to have everyone pile their shoes in the entryway and walk around in stockings or barefoot and I feel uncomfortable when in these situations especially in the summer when I am wearing sandals. I dont get pedicures or paint my toenails etc so I feel quite inferior, awkward and unkempt if made to remove my shoes. I do it if it is called for but generally decline future invitations to that home. My father taught me that the guests comfort should always come first, heck when I have had overnight guests I always give up the master bedroom and take the smaller room as I want them to be the most comfortable and that room has a bathroom attached making it more convenient for them.

This thread was over two months ago. As it ended then, no one was right, no one was wrong. It all boiled down to what you yourself allow or do not allow in your own home, when it comes to your guests shoes.

With the exception of countries that it is customary to remove one's shoes before entering a person's home, of course.

Shoes on, shoes off. Shoes off because of tradition. It's all good.