Oh, let's not talk about the things into which your shoes may have stepped when you were outside! I will leave that to your imagination.

One of my takeaways from visiting Japan was removal of shoes upon entry into the house. And it's not only Japan. There are a lot of other countries where this is common practice.

So, since my first visit to Japan, yes, indeed, I not only take my shoes off in other people's homes, but I ask them to do so in mine. I provide slippers, I allow for people to walk around in bare feet or in socks, or I also have those "booties," as you call them, that slip over shoes.

I always love having my feet covered, so I never walk around barefooted, even in my own home. I have slippers with fairly hard soles. I also have a special pair of slippers that I travel with.