Lots of people wear slippers and sandals in Hawaii because they are easier to remove when entering a house.
Be aware if you come to Hawaii that you will be expected to remove your footwear before entering a home.
While living in Illinois, we always took off our shoes when entering our house and expected others to do so also. All of our friends just understood what they probably felt was our quirkiness and didn't hold it against us.
When the kids were here there were a whole lot of slippers outside our door. I lined them up neatly here. Usually, they were scattered here and there. The shoe cabinet beside the door was also full of footwear not to mention a rack on the other side.
Now there's just the few that Art, mom and I use.
I was looking at them today and remembering with a smile what fun it was to see the jumbled assortment that made walking into the house a mess sometimes... but it was a happy mess.
Be aware if you come to Hawaii that you will be expected to remove your footwear before entering a home.
While living in Illinois, we always took off our shoes when entering our house and expected others to do so also. All of our friends just understood what they probably felt was our quirkiness and didn't hold it against us.
When the kids were here there were a whole lot of slippers outside our door. I lined them up neatly here. Usually, they were scattered here and there. The shoe cabinet beside the door was also full of footwear not to mention a rack on the other side.
Now there's just the few that Art, mom and I use.
I was looking at them today and remembering with a smile what fun it was to see the jumbled assortment that made walking into the house a mess sometimes... but it was a happy mess.

They are neatly arranged in the Kay household style.
ReplyDeletei HATE it when people wear their outdoor shoes inside. it makes no sense at all. we are socks people. take your shoes off at the door and wear socks! when i think of what people carry in on their shoes it grosses me out!
ReplyDeleteMy sister in law is obsessive about not wearing outside shoes inside! Daughter's family in NH does it too but with good reason: mud season, winter, etc. Daughter in Buffalo spent four years in China where it became a habit for her, too.
ReplyDeleteSwedes do that too.
ReplyDeleteWith our wintry winters, most Canadians tend to remove their footwear by habit. But then we may put on slippers. :)
ReplyDeleteDaisy's relatives all do that. You always get screamed at when you forget.
ReplyDeleteI know what you mean about the slippas - quite bittersweet joy. When the family is here, the pile of slippas and chaos reign, and when they leave, peace returns.
ReplyDeleteGreat idea all should adopt. It is easier in the tropics though when most wear flip flops.
ReplyDeleteTrue symbol of ohana and hospitality!
ReplyDeleteSeveral of my friends expect "shoes off" on entering their homes, and I don't because I need the shoe to hold the lift for my short leg. Recently I got a lift into a slipper. Now to remember to take them to those homes.
ReplyDeleteI have had severe arthritis knees for several years, and am now recovering from knee surgery. It is an uncomfortable struggle to get shoes of and on right now. I have to wear shoes with good support and that tie, so I need a place to sit down to take shoes off and on. My Dad, whose wife now is Korean, built a bench to sit on to take off our shoes. I need to get some kind of booties to slip on over my shoes when visiting other people, because I know so many people who do not wear shoes in the house. I only wear shoes in my house until I can get over to my chair to take them off or when tornado sirens goes off, and then I put them on.
ReplyDeleteI have a BIG smile on my face reading about you smiling about the ..."happy mess". I love this story, Kay. Thanks for sharing it.
ReplyDeleteWishing you a wonderful Friday!
When I want to live in slippahs, I love dropping my shoes off. Here in KC, when we go to the Hawaiian Civic Club functions at the home of www.thepearlharborchild.com (she lives here,) we take our shoes off. Maybe being in cold KC, we take them off just as we get in the door but her entryway is heavy tile flooring. She has a little bench, and a box of socks with anti-slip tread on them for folks who need socks. But we set our shoes to the side of the door.
ReplyDeleteBeing a fall prevention nurse freak, may I recommend you place your slippahs to the side, and not right in the path of the door? Oh, it's still fun to find your own after the party....
Linda in Kansas
My kids take off their shoes when they come home too, and find places to stick them out of the way. No slippers though, just sock feet or bare feet. I have to wear shoes, but I have house shoes and outside shoes.
ReplyDeleteHappy messes are the best kind.
I hear you! I love it when they visit.
ReplyDeleteWe usually take our shoes off, although it all depends, living in a wetland.
We don't wear our shoes inside the house, but we always have some kind of footwear on. I have slippers and Crocs for indoors. :-)
ReplyDelete