No-shoe Policy.

There are many reasons why shoes are removed before entering a temple. Temples are a sacred place, and removing shoes is a sign of respect. It also shows that a person is humble. Leaving shoes outside is symbolic of leaving wordly stuff so that the person can concentrate on spiritual things. Because shoes can be dirty, taking them off is a sign of purification inside the temple. This is also true for Muslims when they visit a mosque. For some of these reasons, many Asian cultures consider it polite to take off shoes inside the home too.

In our house, we don't wear our shoes inside. As kids, we were taught by our parents that the outside and inside of the house are two different worlds separated by a door. But I know for a fact that not all household here in the Philippines practice this.. Whenever I visit a house for the first time, I politely ask whether I should remove my shoes or not. Most of the time, they would say it's ok not to remove it. But since I'm not used to wearing shoes inside, I get really uncomfortable so as much as possible, I only stay in one place. When it's my friend's turn to visit our house, they willingly oblige to the no-shoe policy. The line-up of shoes just outside our door (like in the picture above) reminds them to take off their shoes before entering. But sometimes, there are quite a few insensitive ones who are oblivious to the pile of shoes outside our door. What I do is offer them my puffy indoor slippers, and if that won't work, I just wait till they leave and scrub the floor with Lysol and Bleach.

I just can't imagine how others could bear wearing their shoes inside. I don't need to emphasize how dirty shoes can be. They could come from hospitals, public restrooms, or alleys covered in mud, spit, vomit, and all the germs, bacteria, and viruses imaginable. We clearly don't want that inside our house. Besides, being barefoot is the most comfortable way to walk around the house!