The prosecution: Zara
Maya covers our floors in dirt, germs and scuff marks. To me, it’s gross
Living with my housemate, Maya, for 14 months has taught me one thing: shoes belong outside. Before you walk into your home, you should take them off and put them on the shoe rack.
I believe in these rules, but Maya always walks into our house with her shoes on. I find it repulsive. I keep trying to get her on side: I’ve implemented a strict shoes-off policy in our house, and have also bought a shoe rack so there is a place to store them. But she always forgets.
I guess this is her house too, and our argument begs the question: who gets to set the rules at home? In my view, when someone insists on wearing shoes inside the house, chaos is inevitable. By wearing shoes inside, Maya covers our floors in dirt, germs and scuff marks. To me, it’s gross: my family is Moroccan, and over there you always leave shoes at the door or outside. Maya is British and doesn’t get it. She even worries that if we leave our shoes on the shoe rack by our door, they might get stolen.
To me, this shoe thing is about respect. Our home is shared, and everyone should be able to walk barefoot inside without fear of stepping on mud, leaves or dirt from outside. Maya says it doesn’t make any difference to the cleanliness of our house as I have a dog, Rufus, and so we are all equally responsible for the dirt on the floors. But Rufus’s paws don’t hold on to dirt like human shoes. Also, I wipe Rufus’ paws every time we come back from a muddy walk. One time, before we had the rack, I found chewing gum that Maya had stepped in, on Rufus’s bed.
Wearing shoes inside is offensive to me and makes the house feel dirty. Every time I glance down and see Maya’s shoes lying around indoors, it’s also a reminder that she is ignoring the rules of shared living, even though she said she’d try to use the rack and wear slippers around the house. For the sake of hygiene, safety and household harmony, I think Maya should use the shoe rack – and take her outside shoes off whenever she’s indoors.
The defence: Maya
Not every shoe fits neatly on the rack, and sometimes life is a mess and I just forget. That doesn’t make me lazy, or a bad housemate
Zara loves this wooden shoe rack she bought recently, but I honestly just sail straight past it. I don’t think wearing shoes indoors is evil, and neither is leaving a few pairs on the kitchen floor.
I try to leave my shoes in my room, but sometimes I walk through the house and kick them off in the kitchen – it’s not a crime.
I guess I’ve grown up wearing shoes around the house. I find it cosy and practical, and I like the way it feels. I don’t do it from the moment I wake up, but if I’m about to go out, I will put my shoes on a bit beforehand. And when I come home I won’t take them off immediately. Zara and I come from different backgrounds, and so have different habits.
Zara is offended that I don’t want to use the shoe rack, but from a practical standpoint, not every shoe fits neatly on the rack, and sometimes life is a mess and I just forget. That doesn’t make me lazy, or a bad housemate.
Zara treats the sight of shoes on the floor like a crime scene, and me like a criminal. But some days I’m rushing out, coming home late, or just too tired to line up my boots. It takes time to arrange them and make sure I’m not knocking over any other shoes.
This just means we’re living in our home like normal people. Shoes scattered here and there don’t hurt anyone. I also think Zara doesn’t have a leg to stand on about dirty floors because she has Rufus. A dog drags all sorts through a home and she doesn’t have indoor socks for him. I’ll stop wearing my shoes inside when Rufus gets a pair of doggie slippers.
I’m against barefoot living indoors, whereas Zara loves that. Bare feet feel a bit hippy, and as we have wooden floors it gets cold in the winter. Yes, I have slippers, but I don’t always want to wear them either, and if you go to take the bins out, they become outdoor shoes anyway.
I’m trying to get comfortable in slippers, but I think occasionally wearing shoes inside is harmless. Zara should stop trying to make the shoe rack happen. It’s not for me.
The jury of Guardian readers
Should Maya stop wearing shoes in the house?
It’s not a big ask to remove one’s shoes when coming indoors. Shoes are filthy and carry all kinds of bacteria from public toilets, train stations and pubs that Rufus’s paws won’t.
Charlotte, 35
I’d suggest a good doormat, removal of really dirty shoes and no bare feet. The most important aspect of this is probably not a scientific or practical one. Zara and Maya need to accept that they are sharing and need to compromise.
Christopher, 64
Wearing shoes around the house is inherently disgusting. The soles of most shoes carry coliform bacteria, as well as pesticides, lead and other pathogens. Maya also disregards Zara’s feelings. The comment about doggy socks is just a tit-for-tat response as Maya isn’t concerned by dirty floors.
Adam, 55
Although it pains me to rule in favour of Maya, Zara has no right to insist that people who share the house conform to her rules. Rule-making necessitates agreement, and where there is none there is no obligation to comply. Removing your footwear on entering a house is common courtesy, not a law.
David, 73
If you share a living space with someone, you must be willing to adapt. Maya could adapt by taking her shoes off at the door. It’s less clear how Zara could adapt. Should she start wearing her shoes inside? Should she just chill out? The most sensible adaptation is that Maya takes her shoes off.
Eddie, 46
Now you be the judge
In our online poll, tell us: should Maya take her shoes off at the door?
The poll closes on Wednesday 14 January at 9am GMT
Last week’s results
We asked if Noah should change the way he showers.
4% of you said yes – Noah is guilty
96% of you said no – Noah is innocent
