Why Do Asians Take off Their Shoes When Entering a House?
Have you ever wondered why when you go to hang out at an Asian friend’s house, or when they come to your place, that they automatically take off their shoes?
In many Asian countries, there is a tradition of removing shoes in the home, school, and sacred places like churches and temples. Today we will sum up the reasons why people take off their shoes when entering a house.
House Structure
Back in ancient times, houses in Asia were raised about two feet off the ground. For example, in Japan there is a small space at the entryway of the house (called “Genkan”) for taking shoes off and leaving them. So taking the shoes off and stepping into the house is symbolized as entering a private space.
Nowadays, throughout Asia, you can still generally find most homes with this small entryway and some hosts will also prepare slippers for guests to switch from shoes to slippers!
Belief
Some believe that the head is the most revered part of the body, where the spirit lives, and the feet are considered dirty because they are at the end of the body, most removed from the spirit.
For example, in Thailand, you will be asked to remove your shoes when entering homes or sacred places like temples. That is why sandals are widely accepted as a typical fashion. They’re easy to slip on and off, not to mention they are more comfortable in the heat.
Hygienics
According to a 2008 study by the University of Arizona, there are approximately 421,000 types of bacteria found in shoes, which can cause infections in our stomachs, eyes, and lungs. This bacteria also live longer on shoes than in other places.
Bacteria can live in hotter and colder temperatures than humans, but they do best in a warm, moist, protein-rich environment that is pH neutral or has a low acidity level, which is similar to Asian temperatures.
Additionally, the Asian lifestyle is mainly centered around the floor. They sit on the floor, eat, sleep, and do other activities on the floor. The floor must be clean and warm and that tradition remains today.
Health
As an added bonus, being barefoot is a good health practice. As a result of their 5,000+ years of experience with foot reflexology, the Chinese believe that walking barefoot allows pressure points to be stimulated. Removing shoes gives the feet a chance to relax, feel, stretch, and breathe. Give it a try! Kick off those shoes and see how comfortable it is.
So that is why Asians take off their shoes. Just remember when visiting an Asian home to wear clean socks with no holes because you may be asked to remove your shoes!
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Meet SNEAK Team:
Baitong is a content editor who is deeply in love with languages. She knows four and is intent on learning more! When not nerding out over language, she enjoys the foodie lifestyle, being a musical geek, a gamer, a bookworm, is interested in IT, and is a total dog person (but has a cat too).
Originally published at https://blog.getsneak.com on May 27, 2020.
