Q. Is there a polite way to ask guests not to wear shoes in your home?
Annette Schwiebert
Hickory, NC

It’s perfectly acceptable to ask guests to take off their shoes in your home. However, you should then keep spare sets of slippers or warm socks in your entryway, recommends Jodi R R Smith, author of From Clueless to Class Act: Manners for the Modern Woman (Sterling Publishing, $10). “When you are the host, your guests’ comfort should always be high in your mind,” says Smith. “In your own home, you kick off your shoes and put on slippers, so you should provide that same opportunity for your guests.”

If your guests are hesitant to remove their footwear, offer to clean their shoes before they set foot on your floors. But don’t be too pushy. Your guests should feel like they are more important than your floors, says Smith. But be prepared for a guest to say no. Those who arrive for a nicer event (say, a cocktail party) or who are wearing stylish heels to make an outfit are more likely to snub the no-shoes policy.

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