A TikTok user has triggered a rather intense discussion around a question that at first glance seems straightforward: if you don't wear your shoes inside your house, then where exactly do you keep them?
Hilary Combs, who goes by @heyhilarycombs, posted a TikTok on September 25 last year, which has now resurfaced. It asks those who follow a no-shoes-in-the-house rule how they get ready in the morning. In the video, she said she wears her shoes around the whole of her home and asks whether people who take their shoes off at the door take them from a bedroom closet downstairs before they leave.
"Also, do you not have ADHD?" Combs asked. Her basis was that wearing tennis shoes helps her to carry out tasks, and she had read that such behaviour could be linked to ADHD. The video had 39,200 likes and over 28,500 comments, with a number of the commenters less focused on the ADHD issue and instead on what they saw as the obvious solution: that their shoes are not stored in the bedroom.
@heyhilarycombs ALSO, your kids are cool with just putting on their shoes in the car orrrrr???
♬ original sound - Hilary Combs
One commenter said that most people have them at the entrance. One commenter stated, "The shoes stay by the door, babe," while some other people referred to shoe racks, cabinets, closets, and specific storage space in the entrance area.
A number of the comments coming from Canada and Europe stated that leaving outdoor shoes by the entrance was a usual practice in their homes. One commenter from Canada described how the shoes worn every day are kept in a closet at the front entrance, while another mentioned that winter footwear is generally left near the door due to the weather.
Others also mentioned that they have separate shoes for use inside the house. "Have you lot heard of slippers? I mean, shoes for inside?" asked one commenter. Some people said that they used indoor sneakers, sandals, or slippers, which they never took outside. One commenter mentioned that they have extra slippers for guests, and another explained that they take off their outdoor shoes at the door before switching to their indoor footwear.
The conversation also brought up another important reason why some people favour a no-shoes rule: cleanliness. People said they have to walk through public toilets, muddy streets, snow, and other outdoor areas before going into their home. One commenter stated that their shoes go into public restrooms but not into their home.
Someone else asked about the way people who wear shoes inside deal with furniture, especially if they take off their shoes before putting their feet on the couch and how often they clean their floors.
Combs' question also led people to reconsider the idea that everyone has a bedroom closet full of shoes.
Many replied that they keep their shoes in a shoe cabinet, the front hall closet, the garage, or the mudroom. A commentator referred to their entryway as a "dirty room" in which people keep their shoes, coats, and other items from outside before entering the rest of the house.
