Shoes @ the Door

One of the easiest ways to stop dirt from entering your house is to simply leave your shoes at the door.   But as an eco-stylist, I've always had hesitation to leave piles of shoes by the door; it just looks unsightly. 

On a trip to West Elm recently, they were having a big clearance sale and had this round wicker basket for sale for $4.    I actually stocked up on a bunch of these baskets when I was filming the HGTV special "Red Hot & Green" and used them in the homeowner's house on the show.    So I had to pick one up.

So, here are shoes that are left at the door, resting in the West Elm basket.     It's a good idea to make shoe-less living a habit at home.  Apparently, shoes drag in around 80% of outside dirt and toxic metals they pick-up.   In major cities, shoes can even drag in lead into your house. How gross is that?   

Comments

[DawnMarie]

My husband and I do not wear shoes in the house. The only thing I am not comfortable with is how to deal with that issue with guests. I want my home to be warm and inviting and I do realize not everyone takes their shoes off. Still trying to balance making guests comfortable and how I would like to conduct my home.

[Jane]

I have a basket by my door for shoes and it is pretty good at taming that beast! I had no idea about the lead! Eeek!

[deezie]

We dont wear shoes in our house and we normally just leave them at the front or back door, now I am on a mission to find some of these cool baskets, great, great idea!!!
deezie

[Matthew C]

Shoes off at the door is definitely the way. I have a whole blog dedicated to this subject.

[Kim]

We have an Ikea bench that has a shelf on the bottom- gives you a place to sit to remove/put on your shoes and people just slip their shoes onto the shelf. Blond wood, kind of sleek looking. We love it!

[tracy]

growing up in canada we had to take off our wet slushy boots at the door! now in socal i notice so many who walk into their homes with shoes all the time. not so at our place - we came up with a cubby system
http://jumillastories.blogspot.com/2006/05/corners-of-our-home-16.html
that keeps the shoes at the door and still fits in with our modern home. great post - thanks!

Umm..I might need about 5 of those baskets by my door to hold my shoes (bad fetish for flip-fops and sneakers). Then I would also need one for my husband's 3 pairs. =p Neat though!

[Monica Ricci]

Before a recent conversation on the NAPO listserv about shoes, I had nooooo idea so many people were so into leaving shoes at the door of their homes. I have almost never encountered it myself but am happy to take my shoes off if my host requests it.

The funny thing is that I almost never wear shoes in my home, but just because I don't like having shoes on. Oh, and one of my favorite internet user names is 'Shoeless'. :)
~Monica

[Ellinorianne]

My husband have been doing this for years and our daughter knows to take her shoes off first thing when she gets home. I also have washable rugs just inside the door to wipe our shoes off before putting on the little rack we have.

[catha heinz]

this is the #1 reason we take our shoes of is , you can contact TB from the sidewalk were other people have spit and track it in to your home!

[fussball]

Gute Arbeit hier! Gute Inhalte.

[Krystin]

We have been doing the no shoes in the house thing ever since we bought a house with new white carpets. I make everyone take their shoes off before they come in and it keeps the house soooo much cleaner. It took a little while to get used to but now it is second nature. I just get to the door and slip off my shoes. Whenever we have people over they see us in socks and the pile of shoes at the front door and automatically take their shoes off as well. If someone doesn't take the clues I will just tell them "we do the japanese thing here would you mind taking off your shoes." No one has ever objected. My kids tell their friends "hey you have to take off your shoes, my mom does not allow anyone to wear shoes in the house."

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