So this probably happened to you. You came to visit a Czech friend or a co-worker at their home, you shook hands in the hallway and then you turned to be seated in their living room only to be suddenly asked to remove your shoes. “What’s this about?” you ask? Why should anyone be asked to remove their shoes in a Czech home?
We wanted to drop a few lines regarding this confusion because, among many of the strange and even bizarre Czech customs that you’ll be faced with during your stay, this one seems to have caught the eye of many travelers.
Removing shoes at the door - just a weird Czech habit?
There is a surprising number of countries in which the custom of removing shoes when visiting someone in their home is not only common but considered a standard. In Germany, Austria, and many north European countries, people will expect you to remove your shoes. A slightly softer approach is taken in the UK, Ireland, and the Netherlands, where the custom is mostly kept by the owners of the house, but not so much by visitors.
However, there are places where not removing your shoes will be a genuine faux pas. Most of Asia follows this tradition and so do many Slavic countries. The Czech Republic is then not completely alone in this custom, though if you still feel strange removing your shoes during a visit, it’s not impolite to ask a Czech homeowner to keep your shoes on. Also remember that if you’re told to de-shoe, you may ask to wear slippers instead (or be asked to wear them).
Advantages of removing shoes before entering a flat or house
This custom is not just one of those little oddities that add a nice flavor to a culture, though it certainly is that as well, it also has some practical benefits. One is obviously cleanliness. Having guests over with their outside shoes on can mean a lot of work after they leave (especially in muddy months), so it does make some sense to take the shoes off and leave them in the hallway.
There is also another possible benefit. There are those who find seeing their well-dressed friends seated in nice chairs all that more pleasant when they are contrasted with funky slippers. There is a certain equalizing quality to the slippers, and to many, there is a bit of self-aware humor in wearing something so clashing with the rest of their outfit. In short, it underscores a certain lack of snobbishness many Czechs are actively enjoying. So next time you’re asked to remove your shoes, be in on the joke and take the pink slippers.
