Why Asians Take Their Shoes Off Indoors and Why You Should Too!
Taking your shoes off before entering a home, and many other dwellings, is customary in many Asian countries.
It’s a practice I grew up with but hated. So it’s ironic that I try to enforce it in my home! But here are the reasons why it’s a common practice and why it’s a good idea for everyone to do!
1. Pay Your Respects
Taking off your shoes before entering someone’s home is a sign of respect. It’s a symbolic gesture saying that you think enough of the people living there not to track dirt into their home. (I can’t help but think of Aretha Franklin whenever I hear “respect”?…R-E-S-P-E-C-T….)
2. Please Check Your Bad Vibes at the Door
To take it a step further, some believe that wearing shoes inside a home tracks dirt and therefore disrespects the ancestors of that home. Not only do you not have enough respect for the current people who live there, but you also are disrespecting all the other people who lived there!
Of course it doesn’t stop there! By disrespecting the ancestors of the home, you’re antagonizing them to do vengeful things like flicker the lights and sour the milk….okay, so I made up the lights and milk part…but vengeful nonetheless!
3. Keeps Floors Clean
Not wearing shoes inside the house helps keep floors clean. It’s really as simple as that!
Many Asian countries, and non-Asian for that matter, eat while sitting on the floor. So their dining table is essentially a foot off the floor. That’s a bit too close for comfort if you’ve got a dirty floor!
Also, since they’re sitting on the floor, they can actually see the dirt and dust more easily. It’s true that if it’s out of sight out of mind. But what if it’s very obvious sight?? Well, it’s very much on the mind then! Ew!
Incidentally, a funny thing happened to my sis while she was working out at a gym in Seoul. She had been working out there for several days before she finally bothered reading the sign on the locker room door asking patrons to remove their shoes before entering. There was even a convenient shoe rack at the door. It was only then, after many days of frequenting this gym, that she had realized that she was the uncouth foreigner tracking dirty shoes into the ladies locker room. Even though she had noticed no one else was wearing shoes, she had assumed that it was just their cultural preference. Lucky for her, everyone had been too nice to say anything to her! 😳
4. Keeps Floors Looking New
Keeping the floors clean also helps them look perpetually new. It’s like that plastic that people cover their couches with so that it always looks pristine. It’s basically the same idea – don’t let whatever it is get dirty in the first place.
5. For Health
Many Asians believe that going barefoot, or at least without shoes, is better for blood circulation. I can’t speak for other Asian countries, however, I know many South Koreans (my parents included) wear these incredibly painful acupressure slippers for supposed blood circulation. And if you’ve watched the South Korean show, Running Man, you’ve likely seen them doing an obstacle course over acupressure mats.
6. It Feels Good!
For many people, kicking off shoes before going inside a home is just habit born from tradition due to the aforementioned reasons.
But it could also be habit for habit’s sake. Traditional Korean dwellings had heated floors. So you had to take your shoes off to appreciate the toastiness! And besides enjoying the warmth, once your toes know the freedom of going shoeless, it’s hard to go back!
Everyone Should Do It!
Is it inconvenient at times? Yes, but you get used to it! What really helped my non-Asian hubby get used to it was to get these elastic ties for his sneakers. Now, he doesn’t have to mess with laces! I liked them so much that I got some for myself as well!
Personally, my main reason for following the no shoes inside the house rule is that it keeps the floors cleaner. And although we have a dog and two cats, our house is only ever going to be so clean, why make things worse? Oh, and here’s a related reason that I would put as the most important reason of all…the other day the hubby tracked in dog poop on his shoe! Although he’s usually good about removing his shoes inside the house, he faltered this time because he was just going to go right back out. We didn’t realize what happened until I noticed dog poop tracks going across our family and up the stairs! The germophobe side of me freaked out! 😵
So, you see, if you just don’t wear shoes inside the home in the first place, there won’t be any dog poo to clean up…unless, barring your dog having an accident.
Do you practice the habit of not wearing shoes inside the house? Or have you been the one to track nastiness into your home? Share in the comments!