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Should you take off your shoes in the house? Scientists weigh in. – CBS News

9 points by thedday 3y ago

NoZebra120vClip 3y ago
I adopted the shoeless policy at home long ago. I remember in high school, one of my friends was shocked to find that we all wore shoes at home. Now, grandma's home was built by someone from Back East, and it included a "Mud Room" which contained junk and never used for its intended purpose, because there was never any mud to contend with. Due to a continued lack of mud, and comfort in my bare feet, I adopted the shoeless policy and I keep all my shoes by the door, or in the closet for rarely-used pairs. My fiancée was, in turn, shocked by my steadfast barefoot stance, and she coaxed me into wearing sandals around the house. This was a firmer and kinder coaxing than the hints I get from Mom, which come indirectly: gifts of moccasins and slippers that I hate, and pre-shaming me for dropping fingernail fragments on the floor before I even start cutting my nails. I have no such issues living alone, so I'm comfortable in my own skin here. Fight me.
- mdekkers 3y ago
  > Fight me. Why would I want to do that? There is a lot of aggression in your writing, are you OK?
giardini 3y ago
Some of my family are Chinese and they walk around in sandals or shoeless. In the kitchen they often use a large Chinese cleaver. I warn them endlessly not to use those knives https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chinese+cleaveR&iax=images&ia=images https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chinese+cleaveR&iax=images&ia=imag... without wearing shoes b/c, if dropped, such a knife can sever part of a foot! But to no avail. At times there are other hazards indoors, ranging from merely banging a toe in the dark to stepping into water that is carrying 120/240 volts of electrical AC power. The latter can kill you where you stand if you, say, reach for the faucet. Wearing shoes is safer.
- hulitu 3y ago
  > stepping into water that is carrying 120/240 volts of electrical AC power. Why would you have "water that is carrying 120/240 volts of electrical AC power" ?
  - rhaway84773 3y ago
    Frankly this is an argument for govt enforcement of not wearing shoes in the house so natural selection can take care of some of the problems that society cannot.
  - giardini 3y ago
    Water leak or flooding. Many electrical wires run at or below ground level where rainwater can reach even w/o visible above-ground flooding. Electrical appliances or tools and/or their AC plugs may be in low areas and present a hazard. Many large appliances (stoves, refrigerators) are 240 volt. Risk increases in areas and times prone to overflowing rainwater or outright flooding, e.g., during hurricanes. Walking in floodwaters is dangerous b/c of risk of electrocution and also b/c you can't see where you're stepping. Then wearing shoes becomes even more important for a different reason. But one of the first things we learn is, when flooding occurs, turn off electrical power at the main switch.
- kelipso 3y ago
  Sorry but this is hilariously paranoid.
  - giardini 3y ago
    Ever used a cleaver? Even picked one up? Perhaps you've dropped a freshly sharpened cleaver on your bare foot and it bounced off w/o any visible injury? I don't think so!8-)) It isn't paranoia, it is human imagination. It saves bright people and, in its absence, cripples dummies twice over.
    - kelipso 3y ago
      Paranoia is basically overactive human imagination to no useful end. Cannot imagine going around your own house so afraid all the time.
karmakaze 3y ago
HVAC quality in a house is nowhere as good as in a well-regulated office. The first thing I do at home is take of my shoes (from my culture) but also my socks. Working from home, I can't even think clearly in long sleeves most of the time. If the floors are particularly cool, I'll wear thin and loose fabric slippers.
gigiSmiley65 3y ago
Yes. I grew up on a farm nothing but agriculture. My parents taught us to take shows off in the laundry room before coming into the house. Dad was very adamant about this because he stated to us children “ There’s no telling where you walked so make sure to take your shoes off. Don’t walk in other people’s homes with your shoes on. It’s not polite because your shoes aren’t the cleanest thing you wear.” I’m glad I learned this from my parents and I’ve taught my sons this as well.
MilesAr 3y ago
Falls, falls, falls! You can avoid falls by not wearing socks or slippery slippers inside. Bare feet are less of a problem than wearing socks but wearing shoes is safest.

9 points by thedday 3y ago

I adopted the shoeless policy at home long ago. I remember in high school, one of my friends was shocked to find that we all wore shoes at home. Now, grandma's home was built by someone from Back East, and it included a "Mud Room" which contained junk and never used for its intended purpose, because there was never any mud to contend with. Due to a continued lack of mud, and comfort in my bare feet, I adopted the shoeless policy and I keep all my shoes by the door, or in the closet for rarely-used pairs. My fiancée was, in turn, shocked by my steadfast barefoot stance, and she coaxed me into wearing sandals around the house. This was a firmer and kinder coaxing than the hints I get from Mom, which come indirectly: gifts of moccasins and slippers that I hate, and pre-shaming me for dropping fingernail fragments on the floor before I even start cutting my nails. I have no such issues living alone, so I'm comfortable in my own skin here. Fight me.

mdekkers 3y ago
> Fight me. Why would I want to do that? There is a lot of aggression in your writing, are you OK?

giardini 3y ago

Some of my family are Chinese and they walk around in sandals or shoeless. In the kitchen they often use a large Chinese cleaver. I warn them endlessly not to use those knives https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chinese+cleaveR&iax=images&ia=images https://duckduckgo.com/?q=chinese+cleaveR&iax=images&ia=imag... without wearing shoes b/c, if dropped, such a knife can sever part of a foot! But to no avail. At times there are other hazards indoors, ranging from merely banging a toe in the dark to stepping into water that is carrying 120/240 volts of electrical AC power. The latter can kill you where you stand if you, say, reach for the faucet. Wearing shoes is safer.

hulitu 3y ago
> stepping into water that is carrying 120/240 volts of electrical AC power. Why would you have "water that is carrying 120/240 volts of electrical AC power" ?
- rhaway84773 3y ago
  Frankly this is an argument for govt enforcement of not wearing shoes in the house so natural selection can take care of some of the problems that society cannot.
- giardini 3y ago
  Water leak or flooding. Many electrical wires run at or below ground level where rainwater can reach even w/o visible above-ground flooding. Electrical appliances or tools and/or their AC plugs may be in low areas and present a hazard. Many large appliances (stoves, refrigerators) are 240 volt. Risk increases in areas and times prone to overflowing rainwater or outright flooding, e.g., during hurricanes. Walking in floodwaters is dangerous b/c of risk of electrocution and also b/c you can't see where you're stepping. Then wearing shoes becomes even more important for a different reason. But one of the first things we learn is, when flooding occurs, turn off electrical power at the main switch.
kelipso 3y ago
Sorry but this is hilariously paranoid.
- giardini 3y ago
  Ever used a cleaver? Even picked one up? Perhaps you've dropped a freshly sharpened cleaver on your bare foot and it bounced off w/o any visible injury? I don't think so!8-)) It isn't paranoia, it is human imagination. It saves bright people and, in its absence, cripples dummies twice over.
  - kelipso 3y ago
    Paranoia is basically overactive human imagination to no useful end. Cannot imagine going around your own house so afraid all the time.

karmakaze 3y ago

HVAC quality in a house is nowhere as good as in a well-regulated office. The first thing I do at home is take of my shoes (from my culture) but also my socks. Working from home, I can't even think clearly in long sleeves most of the time. If the floors are particularly cool, I'll wear thin and loose fabric slippers.

gigiSmiley65 3y ago

Yes. I grew up on a farm nothing but agriculture. My parents taught us to take shows off in the laundry room before coming into the house. Dad was very adamant about this because he stated to us children “ There’s no telling where you walked so make sure to take your shoes off. Don’t walk in other people’s homes with your shoes on. It’s not polite because your shoes aren’t the cleanest thing you wear.” I’m glad I learned this from my parents and I’ve taught my sons this as well.

MilesAr 3y ago

Falls, falls, falls! You can avoid falls by not wearing socks or slippery slippers inside. Bare feet are less of a problem than wearing socks but wearing shoes is safest.