Neat Freaks?

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It is commonly thought that people who insist on shoes-off in their homes are neat freaks who are obsessed with keeping their homes clean and tidy.

I dare say that there are some people who prefer shoes-off who are genuine neat freaks. And those who are Obsessive-Compulsive about cleanliness may well be among the shoes-off community.

Of course this is culturally relative. In Japan it is thought that money is dirty and unhygeinic because it is handled by untold numbers of people. Japanese people also regard any objects placed in bathrooms, such as books or ornaments to be 'dirty'. A person in a western society who held such attitudes would almost certainly be regarded as Obsessive-Compulsive.

I have known a number of people who really were excessive in their desire to keep their homes clean. Interestingly, these people did not require visitors to remove their shoes. I suspect that they probably spent so much time in cleaning their homes that they were happy to waste time cleaning up after their visitors.

Many people who keep their homes shoe-free are not domestic goddesses who like nothing better than spending whole days doing spring cleaning. Rather, they are busy working people who have far better things to do. They do not want to clean up for the sake of it, but they know that living in a clean environment is healthier and far more pleasent. Knowing that time is precious they would rather keep the mess to the minimum and spend as little time as possible cleaning up after their visitors. Prevention is better than cure.

Nobody needs a house that is spotless, but it is pointless to allow dirt and dust to accumulate when it could easily be kept out by leaving shoes at the door. A floor is meant to be walked upon, but that does not mean that one should not reduce wear and tear and save time and money.

Guardian: Police criticised for staging mock burglaries

Guardian: Police criticised for staging mock burglaries

It was meant to be an imaginative way of hammering home the message that some householders are making life too easy for burglars. But police were under fire today after admitting they had been sneaking into people's homes through open doors and windows and gathering up their valuables into "swag" bags.

I am sure they meant well, but I would not like some police officer coming in my home with her dirty shoes on and walking about

Degrees of Offalism

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0. All children and adults may keep their shoes on.

1. Small children required to remove shoes, teenagers and adults may keep them on.

2. Children and teenagers required to remove their shoes, adults may keep them on.

3. All family members required to remove their shoes, visitors may keep them on.

4. Family members and close friends asked to remove their shoes, other visitors may keep them on.

5. Family members and visitors normally asked to remove their shoes, but exceptions made for parties and some formal occasions.

6. Family members and visitors are normally required to remove their shoes on all occasions, including parties.

I would say that you only count as having a shoes-off policy if you are at level 5. Level 4 is close, but in my opinion is not really a true shoes-off policy.

Tip For Party Hosts

If you are hosting a shoeless party and a guest arrives who is wearing a very nice pair of shoes or a pair of shoes you know to be new, always complement them. That way, they will not mind so much leaving them at the door.

Evergreen Massive/Kyle's Going Away Party

Mika on Belay


Eva figuring out the whole Girls in the Gym thing.


Kyle say CHEESE! Eva in the background on Reptiles


Kyle tackling the first crux on Abo

Whew! Sitting in my mother dearests' study typing away. Took a break from 'Atlas Shrugged' to write about my day. Little si was brilliant, a lot of people were there. Arrived at the crag by 11, and sent the first route with great care.
Too tired to rhyme anymore.
Showed up to the crag and was greeted by a whole crew from Evergreen including Mika, Kyle T., Ausch(spelling?), Eva, and Carrie. The forecast called for sun and we got it, but instead of 63 degree temps it was more like 50 degrees with the wind blowing the warmth from your very soul. No matter. I had a lot of energy and it was great to be at the World Wall. I kept promising myself I would give Californicator a few good burns but never got around to it, and by the time I did get around to it people were running a train on it. Oh well, I got in a good 6 pitches between 11 and 4:15. Managed Psychosomatic, Abo, Psychowussy, GITG, GITG extension(fell at very top), and of course my lady in waiting Rainy Day Woman. Overall a top notch yet cold day of wonderful climbing and to boot a send off sesh with good friend Kyle who will no longer be with us as of next week. Good luck in Colorado Kyle!! I'm super psyched on WW1, fitness felt extremely high today and I climbed all day in my Dragons which are now my go to shoe. Routes I'm psyched on: Extendorigine, Californicator, and Propaganda. Plus a few others which I will have to wait and see if I have the time or the effort to send. After talking to Audrey today I feel like I need to step it up and start getting on some .13's! That woman is extremely psyched on climbing, in great shape, and very inspiring to watch climbing.
Bad news is that it looks like the first week of April is going to be a wet one indeed and the wall was already seeping in some places(but for the most part all dry, with the exception of the far left wall). Looks like I'll have to get my kicks at the WRG.

The Spokane Spectrum, A Story of 4 Worlds

Main Wall at Deep Creek

The past week has faded into my rearview mirror with some velocity. Starting out with high hopes and a long camping and climbing trip mentality has made the last 8 days somewhat of a highspeed blur. Me and my two loyal climbing companions(Laura and Dom, duh) headed out on Thursday of last week to explore the more mysterious side of our state and the many climbing destinations it holds. With day light burning we pulled into Spokane and the campsite there, can't remember the name, and had enough time to check out the nearby crag Deep Creek. It was an eye-full and we were all ready to come back the next day and crush. The routes looked long, vertical to slightly overhung on chipped and shiny black basalt. The whole crag was in a dried up riverbed with fine grained sand as a floor and the faint trickle of water in the back ground providing a very Zen atmosphere.

Our first day on the rock was a numbing experience. Literally the first route we did was so cold I couldn't feel my fingers from start to finish. We opted for more sunlight and headed to the main wall and then decided to come back and headed to the smallest wall in the canyon on the aptly named Mushroom Boulder.


Me belaying Dom up some .11b on the Mushroom boulder.

This wall had some short little routes from .11b to 5.9 to super overhung bouldery project. We spied an .11a that didn't look too tricky and I went for the OS. Now, getting shut down is one thing, but getting shut down so early on a long trip does wonders for your psyche, everyone should try it. The shortest route we had seen so far was kicking my ass. Not one, or two, but finally three tries later I clipped the chains and was soooo pumped from 15 feet of climbing that I was ready to throw in the towel. Laura gave some valiant efforts and was nominated at the end of the trip as the person coming closest to 'sending' without actually 'sending'. She was literally on the last hold bringing the rope up to clip the chains when she decided to keep this for an easy tick next trip. What can I say? The girl thinks ahead.
Oh yeah, and about Dom, well, he just flashes or OS's things, quite annoying really. After Dom tackled a heinous looking .11b to the right of the .11a doing everything but the right sequence and still sending we left Mushroom Boulder and headed to the longer and steeper routes on the Main Wall.
First up was some prime 'chilling time' where we milled about aimlessly occasionally staring up at some random route and chatting with the extremely friendly locals. After my wonderful start I finally got some balls and tried The Roach, a long and juggy looking .11a. The first part was easy 5.9 and then a small little crux going out right to steeper climbing on really good jugs. I enjoyed this climb right up until I started to get really pumped and out of the zone. But I still managed to clip chains. Laura was up next on TR and managed it with one hang, and well, we all know about Dom already. Flashed it!
After sending there was more milling about, until Dom picked out a pretty little .12a on the far left side of the main wall. Steep bouldery start leading to more steep crimpy climbing. Here are some pics, and I believe the name of this route was Being Inferior.







It was a pretty sweet OS and probably the hardest one I have seen Dom do. I was far too pumped just watching to give it a go, but I was inspired and hopped on one of the easier climbs at the crag but no less classic, Red Hair .11b. Such a fun climb and I didn't find it that hard, especially in the technical dihedral. Another OS was definitely helping the psych level and I was looking forward to climbing really hard. The day was a good gauge on where my head was and my fitness and I was slowly realizing that neither would lend themselves to hard OS's. I believe that this was the last climb of the day and we headed back to our lovely campsite.

The second day on we found ourselves at The Pit, another Deep Creek sector not quite as big as the Main Wall but just as long, if not longer and sustained. We got right to work bathing in the sun and warming our forearms on a long .10c that I found pretty hard. I was looking for all incut jugs the whole way and found only slopey flat holds that made me feel insecure.


Laura on a long and pumpy attempt of the .10c.

The next route was Pit Lizard and I had a terrible time climbing this classic line. I think I wandered too far and had to down climb at least two or three times; made a real mess of any conceivable rest or sequence, and finally came to the last jug a mere 5 feet from the chains and decided to fall off. It was epic.
We took a break from the longer routes yet again to find sheer climbing bliss on the shorter walls below the pit that had some pretty fun .10's and .9's.
The morning turned to afternoon and we found ourselves at the Main Wall yet again with noone in sight. I was ready to give a good OS attempt on a cool looking .12a called Naked Man, which was much in the style of the .12a Dom had done on the previous day. Steep and bouldery at the beginning with mostly good incut crimps and a huge jug rest in the middle. I fired off 2/3's of the route before hitting a wall. Literally. I jumped off with the bolt at my feet and came slamming back into the hard basalt. Oh well, it was a fun try and very good climb, I just couldn't finish it. Dom cleaned it up for me and I managed to snag a vid of him on it. (Coming soon)


Me on the beginning of Naked Man(5.12a)

The day ended in a little more frustration than it began. I recovered from my harrowing fall and after a few routes on the Mushroom boulder we were back at the Main Wall for the last climb of the day, a steep looking .11c called Overhangus. Again I fought with flat holds and a pretty hard bouldery start only to pop off just before the slab and a huge no hands rest. It was a really great route however and I look forward to getting back on it next time(a year from now maybe?).
More wood was collected and a nice fire was had by all.


Me taking my frustrations out on the wood, Grrrrrrrr!

Okay, that is a wrap for Deep Creek. Next up is Banks Lake. We drove a mere two hours to Grand Coulee where the granitic mecca of Banks Lake was lying in wait. Our timing could not have been more perfect, for as we pulled into the gravel drive of the campsite pulling in just behind us were our friends from Oly' who had planned to meet up with us on this very day. Erica, Sarah, Meagan, and Melody stumbled out of the car and greeted us with road trip enthusiasm. We pitched four pretty little tents all in a row and were climbing in no time.


The view from Highway Rock at Banks Lake.

A few 5.8 slab climbs later and I found myself growing antsy and wanting to step it up a notch. I spied a line of verticalness with awesome looking crimps at the beginning and was psyched. I made it three bolts up before realizing there were no more bolts and had to back clean to the ground. Turns out the route was not in the guide and was probably not even a finished route. Stepping farther right I got on a sweet looking .11c called young Lions. Easy start on jugs lead to a slightly overhung wall split perfectly down the middle by a slopey looking vertical seam. I just kept on climbing and clipping. The seam was much better than it looked and the crux was right underneath the chains, a deadpoint to a perfect crimp rail and then a victory jug. I had the best time on this route and I think it was the best route I did all trip. The granite is impeccable. Wonderful moves, no awkwardness, well protected. I could go on and on.


Dom on the last move of Young Lions(5.11c).


Melody on the arete of Bono(5.8)

The rain moved in pretty much on Dom's second go send of Allergic reaction(5.12a) as he was almost blown from the top by strong gusts of wind, we packed up in the ensuing torrential downpour and made our soggy way into the local bar. The rain abated and we headed to the homefront where store bought wood warmed us to the core that night.
The next day we woke to the sounds of a million bird songs and checked out Northrup Canyon(amazing) but decided to start out at Golf Course Rock. A huge granitic slab adjacent to a golf course.
The first route I tried was a .10a and it was out of this fucking world good. No hard moves, all crimps, great movement up a flat slabby face.


Erica on the right, and Meagan on the left. Right (5.10b), left (5.10d).


Dom on the .10a lower right corner, and the expanse of the Golf Course Rock sector.

I climbed two other routes on the slab; a pretty nice but awkward in some places .10b and a really good and hard .10d, both OS and fun ascents. Slab climbing is great because you don't get pumped. Hooray.
The last stop of the day was Northrup Canyon.


The pillar ledge view. We had to climb through a cocaine gullyesque nostril to get to these climbs, and I guess it was worth it.


Dom entering the 'pillar' section of Dr. Ceuse(5.10a)

Dr. Ceuse was a great climb that would be 4 stars if not for the junky and awkward beginning. As soon as you get to the pillar part of the climb the adrenaline kicks in and the exposure is intoxicating. The lichen splattered pillar is sharp as a knife but climbs well and is well protected besides just being a straight up bad ass rock climb. I did the 5.8 slab and the crusty and sketchy .10a before we all headed down back through the nostril and collected an insane amount of wood to burn that night.


Meagan checks the weather from the pillar on Dr. Ceuse(5.10)


Sarah negotiates the corner on a .10a.


Erica leading the 5.8 slab in Northrup Canyon.


The next day would be our last at Banks Lake and we all agreed that Northrup Canyon was the place to go. I started out on an inspiring slab climb that was 14 bolts long! How Homer Got His Groove Back(5.10b) was such an amazing climb even though I broke a small crimp off of it and fell, I finished it up after that and took some photos of Laura on it.


Me tackling the slab on How Homer Got His Groove Back(5.10b), pre-breaking off a hold.


Laura TR's How Homer Got His Groove Back(5.10b).




Okay, the stitching was a little off for this pano but I didn't want to crop out most of the picture. I just couldn't stop snapping pics of this awesome crag. The potential here is amazing. A lot of decent boulders, tons of face climbing, crack climbing, roofs, overhangs, slabs, all on perfect cream/tan/white granite.
Dom and I both ended the day on a .12c called Baptism By Whipper which ascends a really overhung wall on nothing but good incuts. It was a tad on the soft side, just big moves, but really fun to climb. The weather was perfect but instead of climbing more we were all ready to pack up and get on to the next destination.

Post Falls

I'll end my blog quickly now since I have no more eye candy. A full memory card will do that to you. We spent Wednesday at a crag in Idaho just over the border of Washington. Post Falls was a great granite sport crag that has a high concentration of climbs in the 5.8 to 5.11+ range, and a couple of .12's. We did more routes on that day than on any other day, I think Dom had 14, I had 11, and Laura got in 8 or 9. The best of which was a great vertical .10c that had a tricky little roof encounter at the very top which required a high-step and a rock-over. Out of three stars I would give this crag 2.5. It was such enjoyable climbing on friendly rock but it lacked that kind of secluded feel that can be nice to have sometimes, especially when the locals start throwing rocks off the top of the cliffs. It's located in a park that gets a lot of foot traffic and most of the climbs are easy to access from the top to set up TR's. Overall it was a great high volume day and there were some definite stand outs, like McMantle(5.11b), Divine Intervention(5.10b), Jude 24(5.11a) and the aformentioned .10c, plus the 5.8 that we all did at the very end of the day.

Goose Lake

Thursday was our seventh day on, and instead of sticking around Spokane to find out first hand if the weather reports we had been hearing about rain were true, we packed up and headed to a place called Goose Lake which is 20 miles(?) east of Vantage. It's quite an obscure little place located in a nature reserve(which allows hunting, WTF?) and has some great views of native grasslands. The climbing is basalt pillars very much in the same style as the Feathers in Vantage but shorter. Out of three stars I would give this crag 1. The rock is extremely loose and friable in places, and even though the entire crag caters to the grade range of 5.6-5.10a, it might not be a wise choice to go here if you are a beginner and are not good at delineating between 'good/solid' holds from 'bad/friable' holds. That being said, I got on 9 routes from 5.6-5.10d and the majority of them were quite enjoyable, with good movement, technical in places, and powerful in others, plus the setting is very tranquil and beautiful.

Now it is Friday afternoon. My skin feels good and it is nice to re-cap the last weeks events. I'm sure I have left out something, like the dinner we had at Laura's aunt's house, thanks Larry and Diane!! The BBQ was delicious. Or the details of sitting underneath a star ridden sky every night laughing and enjoying good company around a crackling fire. Part of me would love to still be out there trying to find 'the zone', but another part of me is psyched to start my new job on Monday and completely not psyched to get up at 5:45 to do so. Anyway, thanks everyone for making the first big trip of the year a great one. Can't wait to get back out there and seek out some of the crags we didn't go to, there are just too many.

Pattersons on Hope Avenue: Barefoot is Better

Pattersons on Hope Avenue: Barefoot is Better

Rob & I decided that in our new place, no shoes are allowed. That means, everyone (EVERYONE) can leave their shoes at the door. There are a few reasons for this. First, I know this is super weird I am somewhat concerned about the germs that your shoes pick up. I mean you walk all over the place, parking lots, public bathrooms, restaurants with dirty mops and spilled food, etc. and then you bring the germs back into your house when you wear your shoes in.

Crazy Sexy Life: Do You Go Shoeless?

Crazy Sexy Life: Do You Go Shoeless?

It is actually a little alarming when you consider that no matter how pesticide-free your own yard might be, you probably walk through all kinds of toxic horrors on a daily basis. Pesticides are routinely sprayed on many sidewalks and car parks, they run off front yards onto sidewalks, they’re found on parks, playgrounds and just about any area where you see grass. And that is just the pesticide problem; what about oil, dog excrement, chewing gum, spit-up and all the other gross things (I’m sure you can think of a few more) that foul our public pathways? Enough said, but truly, the pesticides are the worst because if you have small children or pets, their little hands/paws (and even mouths!) are very close to the ground.

A Mountain Hearth: Please Remove Your Shoes: An In-depth Look at the Barefoot Truth

A Mountain Hearth: Please Remove Your Shoes: An In-depth Look at the Barefoot Truth

You show up at someones house to visit and you notice shoes piled outside the door. This may seem curious, until children come running up to greet you and let you know in the same sentence as their greeting, to please remove your shoes. It may seem radical, but this is a shoe-free house. I discovered this foot loose and fancy free lifestyle when I was going to baby playgroups, and noticed that many of the other mamas had shoe shelves outside and no shoes allowed inside. With little people crawling around on the floor putting everything in their mouth, this was one of the best home policies I had ever heard of. I quickly implemented this idea and discovered that I loved it! No more mud and leaves tracked in or strange smelling bits of who knows what. No more frequent floor cleanings! Now came the tricky part of getting other people on board. The etiquette of shoe removal is surprisingly delicate. How does one express to family and friends that shoes need to come off while maintaining warm hospitality and an atmosphere of welcome? I decided to ask a few fellow barefoot friends to share their wisdom on the matter.

An Open Letter to David and Samantha Cameron

Dear David and Samantha

Let me congratulate you on the prospect of a new addition to your family. You have my prayers for the safe delivery of your child.

Given that you are going to have another baby and you already have two young children, I would urge you to consider making your home strictly shoe-free.

It may be that you already avoid wearing shoes in your home most of the time and encourage visitors to remove their shoes. If so, forgive this communication, but I have seen photographs of you wearing shoes at home.

On this blog, you will find a variety of different reasons why having a no-shoes rule makes sense. Some of these simply relate to protecting floors and carpets, but others concern health. As children spend time playing on floors, it is vital that they are kept safe from harmful toxins and unhealthy elements. Shoes can potentially pick up animal faesces, lead, toxoplasmosis, roundworms and harmful bacteria. Exposure to such things presents risks for small children; risks that can easily be avoided.

Mr. Cameron, you have spoken before about 'wellbeing', that there are things that can contribute to a more healthy and psychologically better lifestyle. I believe that having a shoes-off policy can contribute to a sense of wellbeing not only in keeping out harmful toxins, but also making the home a more special, intimate place, where the day-to-day world is kept out.

Perhaps some of the senior Conservatives who visit you might not relish removing their shoes, but I am sure you make your family's wellbeing your first priority.

I write as a member of the Conservative party who is hopeful for an end to some of the anti-family values of the present Labour government. I wish you success in taking no.10 Downing Street.

I believe you are the man to provide new leadership for the British nation. I would love to see you showing that leadership by setting the example for British families by adopting a shoes-off policy in your home.

Yours sincerely

Dr. Matthew Clarke, PhD

The Sacramental Significance of a Cluster of Shoes

Another post on house churches.

In my view, it is better for churches to meet in homes, as the earliest Christians did. I believe that provides a much deeper level of intimacy and fellowship.

Naturally, a home which hosts church meetings would be wise to have a shoes-off rule, to protect the carpet or flooring from the tread of a large number of visitors. If so, I think the large collection of shoes by the door could have an almost sacramental significance reflecting the truth of the church's nature and purpose.

The church, body of Christ, is a people who experience unity in diversity. We are called out of all nations, ethnic groups and peoples. We come from all walks of life, rich and poor, working class and middle class. Males and females are equally valued (or should be) in the church. All ages have a part to play in the rich tapestry of the church of God, in displaying the light of His grace. Each member has his or her own distinct gift and contribution to the life of the church.

The cluster of shoes at the door would reflect that wonderful diversity. We would see the tiny shoes of a child, and the much larger shoes of her father. We would see the shiny brogues of a businessman and the sandals of a student. We would see the sporty trainers of a young man and the sensible velcro-strapped shoes of a more senior man. We might see ethnic diversity; the elegant heels of a French school teacher and the flip flops of a Filipino nurse. We might see the two pairs of shoes of a newly married couple set closely together by the door.

Shoes in all different shapes and sizes, relecting the diversity of the church. Yet all are removed and left by the door, for the owners have come together to worship and to share in the fellowship of the body of Christ.


Okay, I am a theologian who has done a PhD on the subject of the ecclesiology, so I am bound to write stuff like this.

Save Money In Your Home: Remove Your Shoes

Save Money In Your Home: Remove Your Shoes

When we moved back to the desert southwest, it never even crossed my mind to have a ‘No Shoes’ policy for our home. My thoughts on removing shoes before coming in to the house changed though when I had BabyGirl. When she started creeping and crawling around, I didn’t want her to be near so much dirt. I had the carpets and tiled cleaned and decided we would take our shoes off before coming in. Within a few days I immediately noticed a difference. I didn’t need to vacuum or swiffer every few days like I used to. I didn’t have to dust as much either.

Twister

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Remember that game?

I remember when I was a teenager I used to go to parties and they would get me to play Twister. I used to find the game really irritating.

Twister is one game which must be played in socks or bare feet.

Being a shoe-less game, Twister might seem the perfect accompaniment for a shoe-less party. But is this a good idea?

Being a prudish fundamentalist, I would question whether Twister in mixed-sex adult company is really quite decent, but I will leave the morality of it to one side.

For a low-key, informal party with close friends where shoes-off is expected, Twister would be a perfect game to play.

Nevertheless, some people think removing shoes at a party is really tacky. If you then ask these people to play Twister, they will consider your party to be embarassingly juvenile. While we should make no apology for asking such guests to remove their shoes, it is arguable that we must win them over by the quality of our wine, the delights of our food and the intelligence of our conversation.

On the other hand, you have asked them to remove their shoes and get more intimate. With a few drinks to loosen inhibitions, you could argue that Twister is the logical progression from asking party guests to slip off their shoes.

Netmums: No Shoes

Netmums: No Shoes

It's never too late to adopt a shoes-off rule.

A Rather Obvious Answer

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"If you are so obsessed with keeping your floor clean, don't invite anybody to your home."

If you are so obsessed with what you are wearing, don't visit anybody's home.

Not Always in Slippers

In my opinion, providing slippers for guests is not necessary. If people know the home is shoes-off, they can bring their own slippers and if they have not visited before it is hardly a great endurance to be in socks or bare feet.

Some people insist that providing slippers is a must by pointing out the example of Japan:

In Japan, you are not expected to go bare foot; the host will always give you slippers.

This is actually an half-truth. It is true that hosts will normally provide slippers in Japanese homes. However, these are intend to be worn in the hallway and kitchen. Bedrooms and living rooms normally have tatami (grass mat) flooring. It is expected that one removes slippers and step on the tatami in either stocking or bare feet.

Carpet has become more common in Japan and often it is expected that one removes slippers even before stepping into carpeted rooms.

A Stupid, Patronizing and Probably Offensive Article about Czechs

Prague Post: Worst foot forward

This peculiar shoe-removing custom catches newcomers by surprise: You are finally invited for dinner at the home of your Czech boss, colleague or friend. You wash and shave meticulously, wear a nice suit and bring an impressive bouquet of flowers or a good bottle of wine. You join Czech friends also attending the dinner and ring the bell. Then, as the door opens, something surreal happens: Your Czech friends hand over the flowers and wine, and then, without any prompt from the host or other apparent reason, they proceed to take off their shoes, leave them at the entrance and accept, with gratitude, shoes from their host. Old, frayed, stained and smelly home-shoes quickly replace the dress or high-heeled shoes under the suits and evening dresses.

Thankfully, a number of the comments recognise the stupidity of this article.

Housewarming Parties

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If you are moving into a new house or apartment and you want to make a clean start and have a no-shoes rule, you have an ideal opportunity to kick it off with an housewarming party.

The best thing to do is to indicate clearly on invitations that you will be requiring shoes-off. That way people will have no surpises. They can bring slippers, wear clean socks with no holes or a floaty skirt that looks great with barefeet (Trinny and Susanah actually recommend that hostesses of dinner parties should wear a long skirt with barefeet or slippers).

Having an housewarming party is such an excellent way to send the message that your new house will be a shoe-free zone. Even those of your friends who do not come will see on the invitation that you want shoes-off.

Requiring shoes-off at a housewarming party sends the message that you are really serious about the rule and that it is not just an exception for a wet winter evening. After all, some people with shoeless homes actually make an exception and allow shoes-on in parties. However, having shoes-off at an housewarming makes it clear that you want the house to stay as it was when you bought it.

Irrelevant News

This is not really relevant to removing shoes, but for your information, I have now passed my PhD course.

In telling you that I have done a PhD, I am not making any claim to expertise on the subject of etiquette, health, environmental science or anything related to removing shoes in homes. My PhD is in historical theology and has nothing to do with the subject of this blog.

This blog is not a scholarly journal. It happens to be written by a person who has done a PhD, but it could just as easily have been written by an high school drop-out. This blog is my hobby. While I hope you will find the information useful and informative, it is also meant to be fun.

Children

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I am always a little surprised when I see children wearing shoes at home, whether on television or in person. It surprises me because when I was a child, my parents expected me to remove my shoes at the door. When I visited my friends' homes, their parents often expected me to take my shoes off. So it always seems a little strange when I see children keeping their shoes on at home.

The practise of removing shoes was expected until I reached the age of about 12. My parents became less stringent about it as I got older. Occasionally this house rule would be revived in later years. It was restored when I was 21 when my parents and I moved to a house with cream carpets, though they were not consistent in keeping to it.

There are some homes, in the UK, where the hosts will expect the children of guests to remove their shoes, but would not expect it of adult guests. Some guests will insist that their children remove their shoes without removing their own. I can understand why some people may be more concerned about children's shoes; children do tend to be less careful about what they step in and are more likely to run around in long and wet grass. However, adults should never forget that their own shoes pick up an awful lot of less noticeable dirt. There is also the fact that children learn to follow rules better when adults act consistently. There is a certain amount of 'do as I say, not do as I do' in the requirement of shoes-off for children only.

Some childcare experts are of the opinion that children should wear shoes to the minimum necessary and therefore recommend shoes-off indoors for health reasons.

Spanish Princess Removes Her Shoes For Abu Dhabi Mosque Visit

During a visit to Abu Dhabi, Princess Letizia of Spain removed her shoes when visiting the Sheikh Zayed mosque.

Hello Magazine 20 January 2010

Smelly Feet

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The issue of 'smelly feet' is often raised as an argument against the Shoes-Off rule.

In Western society there seems to be a lot of paranoia about the phenomena of 'smelly feet'. I think this is simply a result of people not removing their shoes very often. Your feet will actually smell a lot less if you remove your shoes regularly. It is unfortunate that we in Britain have not yet reached the civilised heights of Finland, where it is acceptable to remove shoes in business meetings and on trains (not that people do not do so in Britain, but it is frowned upon somewhat).

Nevertheless, I think most people worry too much about this issue. People imagine their feet smell far more than they actually do. I have met very few people who let off much of an aroma after removing their shoes, and most of them were people who did not wash and change their socks regularly.

If people know in advance that they need to remove their shoes, they can make sure they wear clean socks, or even better, bring slippers with them. If they are especially worried about it, they can use some of those fancy foot deoderents.

Feet wil smell a lot less if people wear sandals. Sneakers tend to smell more than leather shoes, though I will admit I often wear sneakers when not in flip flops or crocs.

Some people will say 'I would rather put up with a dirty floor than people's smelly feet.' Well, I guess people decide on their own priorities. However, stinking feet will leave with the guests. A dirty floor will not. Nor will the dust they brought in on their shoes, and that is very bad for your health.

Message to Victoriap

Victoria, I have asked you to reply to my response to your comment. Please either apologise or defend your remark.

I value your comments, but it is not acceptable to make hit-and-run allegations of dishonesty.

Pontification Unlimited

Well, this weekend has a been a blast so far. We all celebrated Dom's birthday to kick off the wonderful month of March. Friday was filled with bowling and debauchery(sorry bush).
Saturday was a vitamin D enriching good time, spent planting various shrubs and trees in the soon to be open low-impact Oakland Bay park. Thanks for the invite Kaitlyn, keep them coming!
Later that evening I found myself in and out of the fishbowl but more importantly listening to some great music and lyrics at a show by Kimya Dawson(check the spelling).
Today I woke up and made a dish that I have been wanting to make for some time now, lemon chicken pesto pasta. And I don't want to toot my own horn, too much, but DAMN!! I'll let the pictures entice you, anyone want to come over for dinner?









I made everything in this dish except the pasta(99 cent bag of farfalle from TJ's), and at the very beginning of prepping all the veggies I nearly sliced right through my precious little pointer finger. I spent the rest of the cooking sesh with my little tip tightly bandaged. Good news, I don't think I'll need stitches. Damn you super sharp, yet evil, chef knife!!

Modern Simplicity: 37 Reasons Why You Should Have a Shoes-Off Policy

Modern Simplicity: 37 Reasons Why You Should Have a Shoes-Off Policy

Sandy at Modern Simplicity was nice enough to link here and quote my 37 reasons.

Conversation about Countries

A colleague heard me humming the Russian national anthem. I suggested that Russia would be a great place to visit because of its historic culture. He said he had no interest in visiting because of all the crime, poverty and corruption there. I pointed out that at least people remove their shoes at the door there (he is a non-shoe remover).

I asked him where in the world he would like to visit. He said he would like to visit Iceland, because of its interesting geology. I pointed out the fact that people in Iceland also remove their shoes in homes. :)

What do Filipinos do?

There are some countries where I hear conflicting messages about whether the custom is to remove shoes or keep them on. The Philippines is one of those countries.

Some Filipinos say that it is their custom to always remove shoes when entering homes. A lot of etiquette guides say this what you have to do. Yet a lot of Filipinos are adamant that they do not normally take their shoes off in their homes.

I visited a guy once who had a Filipino wife. The couple were wearing slippers, but they did not ask me or my friends to remove our shoes. That incident does not tell me much.

I suspect a regional variation is at work. The Philippines is made up of many islands and has ethnic and religious divisions. Some Filipinos look like the Chinese, others look like Pacific islanders. Most interestingly, there is a big Hispanic influence on the Philipines.

I think Filipinos are a cool people- they like fried food, they like wearing flip flops and a lot of them also like extreme heavy metal.

Pre-Raphaelite Proportions

Some women are embarassed by having larger sized feet. They ought not to be. Some of the women in the paintings of Evelyn De Morgan clearly do not have smaller shoe sizes:









Ladies with a larger shoe-size should not be afraid when they remove their shoes; there is nothing wrong with their feet.

Cheap slippers from Lidl

I went with my mother to the budget German supermarket, Lidl. There are always lots of interesting things on offer there.

Lidl was selling cheap men's slippers. My mother bought me a pair to wear when I visit her house. They reminded me of the sort of slippers that you can buy in practically every convenience store in Japan.

Personally, I don't believe it is necessary to provide slippers for guests, but if you do, those slippers would be a good, affordable choice.

Update on Burglar Alarms

I complained that many homes have burglar alarm keypads that are situated away from the door, necessitating entering the home without removing shoes.

I found out some homes have a fob device that you attach to your keys. It allows you to turn off your alarm without going to the keypad.