Learning English

[LvivLovers 39]

We have carpets, wear shoes inside, and I go barefoot sometimes. Vika wears slippers, but I never get a word of protest or scolding (on that issue)

Ditto! Occasionally she'll offer to take my shoes off because they look uncomfortable...I don't know if that's just her way of telling me "Take off your shoes!". It's not a big deal either way in our house.

[Neonred 3,537]

Barefoot is not allowed. Not in this house. We have to wear the stupid looking slippers, but I fianlly bought my own which look better, like moccasins. She actually brings our slippers in a bag when we visit one of the other Amer/Rus couples home! At the homes of her better friends, she leaves slippers there! We have several pairs of slippers here for her friends which come often. It is some sort of CULT!

I put carpet in the first house we had just before she arrived in the upstairs master bedroom. She hated it. Hates carpet! It was gone in a couple of months, replaced with hardwood. She insists it is unsanitary, dirt, smelly "who would put a fabric on the floor you cannot clean?" The new house had carpet in 3 rooms and it was taken out and replaced with hardwood before we moved in. I actually prefer hardwood myself and only did the carpet because I was pressed for time before she arrived. Bad idea.

I had carpet on the stairs and in all the bedrooms. After my wife arrived we ripped it out and replaced it with hardwood. Now she has most of the hardwood covered with rugs. I just don't understand.....

[slim 1,519]

No shoes is so you don't bring germs/dirt from the street into the home. The no barefoot thing is so you don't bring germs/dirt into bed.

It's as if your tapochki (those annoying slippers) are magically making the dirt/germs disappear!

[tom&tanya 48]

No shoes is so you don't bring germs/dirt from the street into the home. The no barefoot thing is so you don't bring germs/dirt into bed.

It's as if your tapochki (those annoying slippers) are magically making the dirt/germs disappear!

This is Tanya's theory!

[Used to be broken 147]

No shoes is so you don't bring germs/dirt from the street into the home. The no barefoot thing is so you don't bring germs/dirt into bed.

It's as if your tapochki (those annoying slippers) are magically making the dirt/germs disappear!

At our house, we had a 'shoe box" right next to the door and we both kicked off the shoes when we came in .. I never knew there were "shoe rules" until I visited his country and tried to walk beyond the foyer with my shoes on.. "VHAT U Doing? " You cannot step off the little mat inside the door, and whala.. the crazy slippers !

Edited November 11, 2010 by brokenfamily

[visaveteran 1]

I think the "no shoes policy" is part custom and part reality. Most Russian flats of the Soviet era are cold and as someone already mentioned, with floors covered with linoleum...so those goofy slippers are for warmth and comfort. Given that a lot of Russian women wear high heels outside, I can see those slippers might be welcome when they come home.

And then there's the environment...very dirty streets, sidewalks, building lobbies and elevators smelling of urine and rotten garbage with homeless men sleeping on the stairway landings, coupled with lots of snow and messy weather for long periods of time. Germ and filth heaven!

I most say, I totally get why the no shoes thing exists. As to continuing that policy in the US, well, old habits are hard to break and I've even know US friends who enforce the no shoes policy too. I've come to see it as a good idea and the home stays cleaner.

[eekee 182]

I grew up with the same policy, so to me any other way seems, well, gross.

But your socks and the bottoms of your feet stay cleaner as well, and you have to wash the floors less often.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I had carpet on the stairs and in all the bedrooms. After my wife arrived we ripped it out and replaced it with hardwood. Now she has most of the hardwood covered with rugs. I just don't understand.....

Yeah, rugs are OK because you can take them outside and BEAT them to clean them or even take them to the cleaners. I am not a fan of carpet either. I hate to remove the old stuff and find all the nasty stuff underneath. I agree it is a bad idea.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

I think the "no shoes policy" is part custom and part reality. Most Russian flats of the Soviet era are cold and as someone already mentioned, with floors covered with linoleum...so those goofy slippers are for warmth and comfort. Given that a lot of Russian women wear high heels outside, I can see those slippers might be welcome when they come home.

And then there's the environment...very dirty streets, sidewalks, building lobbies and elevators smelling of urine and rotten garbage with homeless men sleeping on the stairway landings, coupled with lots of snow and messy weather for long periods of time. Germ and filth heaven!

I most say, I totally get why the no shoes thing exists. As to continuing that policy in the US, well, old habits are hard to break and I've even know US friends who enforce the no shoes policy too. I've come to see it as a good idea and the home stays cleaner.

Yes, feet and shoes are considered very dirty as is a lot of "outside" stuff. Alla was horrified that Americans sit on the floor or put their feet on the coffee table! She seems to have gotten past staring at people doing it.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

At our house, we had a 'shoe box" right next to the door and we both kicked off the shoes when we came in .. I never knew there were "shoe rules" until I visited his country and tried to walk beyond the foyer with my shoes on.. "VHAT U Doing? " You cannot step off the little mat inside the door, and whala.. the crazy slippers !

OMG we have an even more elaborate set up. We enter the house ONLY through the garage door (a regular door adjacent to the big garage door...or by driving the car into the garage) There are three steps up to the house level and I built a small "deck" or porch there. On this small porch is a double door closet, a shoe rack for many shoes and boots and above a rack for hats and gloves. Between this double door closet and the wall of the house is a narrow area with another door, kind of like a very small closet. This is the broom and mop closet. The garage is not heated but I put a small electric heater in the coat closet for winter use. It is a 25W heater and is actually desiged to be a dehumidfer for a gun safe. It works well to keep the coat closet warm in winter. So we come in, take off hats, coats, gloves, etc. BEFORE entering the house where the slippers are on another small rack next to the door. I am worn out just telling about it. I told you, it is like a CULT!

But YOWZAAAAAAAA Alla loves that I can build stuff like that. When we have more time I can tell you about the system we have so the dog and cat can outside all by themselves and not escape (much more difficult given the cat can climb things)

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

No shoes is so you don't bring germs/dirt from the street into the home. The no barefoot thing is so you don't bring germs/dirt into bed.

It's as if your tapochki (those annoying slippers) are magically making the dirt/germs disappear!

I am told the no shoes in bed is because "My keeshka goes zare...you vant dirty keeshka? Keep things from the floor off zee bed!"

[Sergi9 110]

I am told the no shoes in bed is because "My keeshka goes zare...you vant dirty keeshka? Keep things from the floor off zee bed!"

i take any kind of keeshka I can get

[Brad and Vika 129]

I wouldn't go too far with that line of logic. Telling your wife that you don't mind it a little dirty would just lead to an unproducitve discussion with a very predictable result. I tend to go with the "of course you are right sweetie" response to those statements

[SMR 368]

I am told the no shoes in bed is because "My keeshka goes zare...you vant dirty keeshka? Keep things from the floor off zee bed!"

Keeshka aside, I don't think no shoes in bed is an entirely Russian thing. Wearing shoes in bed is pretty weird. I think the issue is that you don't go barefoot so that your feet stay clean so that when you are barefoot in bed, you aren't bringing any dirt into the bed.

[Tnic 5]

I wouldn't go too far with that line of logic. Telling your wife that you don't mind it a little dirty would just lead to an unproducitve discussion with a very predictable result. I tend to go with the "of course you are right sweetie" response to those statements

Ah yes the five magic words. Yes Dear, you are right.

My ex gave up on me about a year into it. I usually would change shoes in the bedroom as there was never any space for it at the door. Then I went barefoot or in socks til she got tired of telling me about it.

My Mila is a different creature all together though. There is a rack inside the door and the shoes come off then and there. No exceptions. We both go barefoot a lot though, unless its cold and she drops my socks (sometimes the clean ones) on the keyboard while I'm working. Then it's "Yes Dear, you are right." When I get back home I plan to pick up a new pair of slippers though. All I have right now is a very old pair, she keeps for guests, that aren't comfy at all and the beach slippers I bought in Koktebel.