In Japan, it’s absolutely mandatory to take off one’s outside shoes at home, and even in some public places and business establishments. Having grown up there for part of my childhood, my family adopted a ‘no shoes worn in the house’ practice that became ingrained and has remained with us ever since.
Japan is not alone. Taking off shoes in Nordic countries like Finland, Sweden, Denmark, Norway and Iceland, is the norm, I understand. Walking in with shoes is frowned upon, not only because it brings in dirt, but because keeping one’s feet stewing in shoes all day isn’t considered good for healthy feet or personal hygiene.
Most Indian households, especially Hindus, have a small shrine dedicated to the deities favoured in that family. Approaching the deities with any footwear on is a strict no-no, so it’s definitely shoes off.
In recent times, I’ve noticed that removing shoes is generally expected if you visit close friends in their homes, but that’s a fairly modern habit. And it doesn’t happen if the occasion is more formal, like a birthday party or dinner gathering.
For those households that practice taking off shoes at the front door, where to put them? One of my pet peeves is the lines of shoes one often sees outside homes here in Macau, making corridors unsightly and smelly.
When designing several homes for Portuguese clients in Macau, I’ve learned that large shoe collections are common, and not just hers but his as well! Hence, ceiling-to-floor shoe cabinets inside the entrance of homes, cleverly camouflaged to blend into the hallway wall, can be an effective and neat way to store them.
In Macau it’s become pretty much ‘de rigueur’ when entering anyone’s home, irrespective of their nationality or culture, to ask if you should remove your shoes. It makes total sense to me. Studies have shown that shoes track in all sorts of harmful toxins from outside when worn in the house. These toxins persist in the air in the form of dust, which is inhaled and absorbed by our skin as it settles on the floor and furniture. Chemicals stay in the air and on surfaces longer in our homes than they do outdoors, where the sun and rain help break down pesticide residues.
Given all this, why do I still find it awkward to ask my guests to remove their shoes? It feels like such an imposition especially if they’re all dressed up for cocktails or dinner. They’ve just arrived and here I am making a demand of them! I’m aware of the nuisance, but all I have to do is to remember those toxins and I remain polite but firm!
