Shoes in States

[lupinesque]

Mike the Goat wrote:
 
> When I was last in the US, my grandmother was amused at the way
> we "Swiss" Grays would leave our shoes in a neat row by the front
> door. Apparently, she had never seen anyone do this before.
> 
> Is this custom unkown in the US?

I just went to a house where everyone was asked to take off their 
shoes and the hosts had a basket of slippers for everyone.  One of 
them was Japanese-American, and I speculated that that's where it came 
from.

In the other US household I'm familiar with where the norm has been 
shoes-off (no slippers for guests, though), one of the couple is . . . 
Swiss.

I really like it.  My mother was once told by a friend, "When I come 
to your house I want to take my shoes off," and regarded it as a high 
compliment.  To me, as to her friend, it's a sign of comfort and 
feeling at home; I like to take my shoes off as soon as I get 
home and pull on slippers or wool socks (like Dumbledore, I could 
happily join the Sock of the Month Club).  When I am at others' homes, 
though, I hesitate even to ask whether I can take my shoes off.  I 
have the vague sense they'll think it's forward, as if I'd helped 
myself to something from the fridge, curled up on their living room 
couch, and turned on the TV.

Amy Z
who just saw her 7-week-old niece and is smitten