Inside ... are you "shoes on" or "shoes off?"

A recent story on CBS Sunday Morning explores the options

I don’t normally court controversy, but when my friend Mo Rocca contacted me asking about a story he was working on, I had a very definite point of view.

Shoes on or shoes off?

The issue, like many questions involving hearth and home, sparks a sharp divide.

There are cultural and health reasons that homeowners ask guests to remove their shoes, and these are to be respected, but — otherwise — I reside firmly in the “shoes on” camp.

[Boots come off, but in my life, shoes stay on…]

My justifications, which I supplied to Mo, are:

I have middling standards when it comes to cleanliness.

I grew up on a farm where when I wanted a snack, I could pull a carrot out of the ground (or pluck a berry or apple), wipe it on my jeans, and eat it. My point is that I’m not bothered by a little grime.

Where I live, floors are frequently cold.

I know there is some icky stuff on the bottom of our shoes (and on our laptops, our phones, and presumably our toothbrushes), but I don’t think it’s necessary to live in a world that is too antiseptic.

As I said to Mo, “If Erin Brokovich comes to my house and says I have dioxin on my shoes, I’ll take them off — otherwise … I’m good.”

I do not assume that everyone agrees with me — or even that anyone agrees with me. But disagreeing about shoes is definitely easier than arguing about the larger state of the world.

In that regard, I’d just as soon put a sock in it.

Click here for Mo Rocca’s CBS Sunday Morning story, which laces up this debate nicely.

… and by all means, let me know which side you favor in the comments section.

I’ll be back with a fresh and topical newsletter next week.

Love,

Amy