Is it rude to ask guests to take off their shoes before entering your home?

A recent debate sparked by a party planning guide has reignited a fiery discussion about the age-old question: Is it rude to ask guests to remove their shoes before entering your home?

Last week, The New York Times published a 'Guide to Partying (Without Regrets),' which detailed the dos and don'ts of hosting and guest etiquette.

When it came to spilling the deets on how to become the hostess with the mostess, event planner Rebecca Gardner's opinion on the 'shoe or no shoe' debate broke the internet.

'Please don't ask people to take off their shoes when entering your apartment. It's rude,' said Gardner.

Chef Romilly Newman backed up Gardner's hot take: 'When you invite people into your home, you need to let go. You can't be like, 'You can't touch this' and 'You have to take your shoes off' and 'If you spill something, you are in trouble.' Hosting is letting your guests enjoy themselves.'

Taking your shoes off can also stop the spread of bacteria inside someone's home

Users on the side of 'pro-shoes off' argued that removing shoes is a basic hygiene measure, a sign of respect for the homeowner, and a common practice in many cultures, particularly Asian ones

Tom Nichols, a staff writer for The Atlantic, tweeted this week that it's unreasonable for hosts to expect guests to remove their shoes.

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'If you throw a party, expect that human beings are going to wear shoes. Clean your floors the next day,' he said. 

Users on the side of 'pro-shoes off' argued that removing shoes is a basic hygiene measure, a sign of respect for the homeowner, and a common practice in many cultures, particularly Asian ones.

'When you find out who doesn't have Asian friends,' Indian American comic Hari Kondabolu tweeted, featuring a picture of Gardner's Times entry.

'My Ghanaian mom would like to have a word,' an X user posted.

Jose Santos Ardivilla, a Filipino student pursuing a doctorate as a Fulbright scholar, told HuffPost that taking your shoes off before entering the home is viewed as a sign of respect in his culture. 

'Culturally, taking your shoes off shows a sense of deference to other people's homes, which many of us consider as places for rest and safety,' said Ardivilla. 'It's a simple symbol of consideration for the homeowners.'  

But take the cultural aspect out of the gesture, taking your shoes off can also stop the spread of bacteria.

Sara Jane Ho, an etiquette expert and author of the new book 'Mind Your Manners,' said that although she enjoyed the Times' party guide, she will continue to take her shoes off before entering another person's home.

But take the cultural aspect out of the gesture, taking your shoes off can also stop the spread of bacteria, said Sara Ho, an etiquette expert and author of the new book 'Mind Your Manners.'

A recent debate sparked by a party planning guide has reignited a fiery discussion about the age-old question: Is it rude to ask guests to remove their shoes before entering your home?

Opponents believe that asking guests to remove their shoes is an unreasonable request that infringes on personal comfort and is unnecessary in clean environments

'For as long as I can remember, I've never worn shoes in the house. It's extremely hygienic,' she said.

'Let's say you go to a restaurant, you use the restroom, you go grocery shopping or you go to the market. You're tracking all sorts of bacteria and germs and uncleanliness from the streets.'

Research from Manhattan's Upper East Side in 2023 uncovered high concentrations of bacteria, such as E. coli, often found on shoes and subsequently tracked indoors.

Ho explained that the custom of removing shoes indoors in Asia is rooted in practical concerns.

Wet markets, common in many Asian countries, are often unclean environments, and traditional dining practices involving low tables and floor seating further reinforced the habit.

'In China, it was only later when northern invaders came and conquered parts of the country that people began eating at higher tables,' she said. 'But keeping your shoes on in public areas while taking them inside is still a sign of respect in a private area.' 

Iranian American novelist Porochista Khakpour, who grew up in a California suburb with a predominantly Asian American population, said the only exception to the 'no shoes indoors' rule was if a person was disabled or suffered from an illness that would make it harder for them to get around.  

Research from Manhattan's Upper East Side in 2023 uncovered high concentrations of bacteria, such as E. coli, often found on shoes and subsequently tracked indoors

And going shoeless doesn't mean barefoot for some hosts. To accommodate guests who remove their shoes, many Asian homes offer slippers as an alternative to going barefoot

Tsai-Ni Ku, a first-generation Taiwanese American PR executive, grew up navigating cultural differences between South Africa and Boston. In both places, her mother often found herself explaining the custom of removing shoes indoors.

'Growing up, my mom would always ask kindly, but there were some guests of different cultures that were unaware of the nuances involved,' Ku told HuffPost. 

'Many Asian Americans are taught to change into 'house clothes' or pajamas as soon as you get home since these are clean, indoor clothes.' 

And going shoeless doesn't mean barefoot for some hosts. To accommodate guests who remove their shoes, many Asian homes offer slippers as an alternative to going barefoot.

'In my home, we don't expect our guests to be barefoot either!' Ku said.