Do you ever go visit somebody's house and wonder if you are supposed to take off your shoes at the door?
Is this a common problem in other parts of the world. I understand that people don't want you tracking dirt into their house so you take off your shoes and rub your stinky sweaty socks into the carpet. Is this any better? I usually default to wearing my shoes and if I'm asked to I politely remove them. I find the whole situation pretty hilarious a guest waiting at the door waiting for a queue to remove them or keep them on sometimes asking the host "should I take off my shoes?"
Is this a regional problem or what maybe the Minnesota nice makes it too hard to make a decision. Some people have preferences for their guests and varies from house to house. I personally could careless unless you just steeped in a dog pile.
Mr. Manners says leave them on
_B manners
I know 4 or 5 familly here in France that ask the people to remove their shooes, and its not rare. I myself dont care if people keep or remove their shooes when they come in my house, if they want they can if they want to keep it same.
Where I come from we always take off your shoe as we find it unpolite to bring dirt into house. However I do understand your point about stinky sweaty socks.....we solve this issues with slippers which we always offer to people visiting us. What makes me always laugh are movies where you see people jumping onto bed with shoes on......guess they want to be ready for some bed-olimpics :)