Re: PEOPLE take off ...
it's not a requirment at everyone's home though. not everyone takes off their shoes, even in their own homes. the roads aren't that dirty, unless ofcourse there is either slush outside, or mud. in that case as far as the people i've encountered, they have the common courtesy to take their shoes off at the shoe rack behind the entrance's door. otherwise, some people don't mind if you take your shoes off or not. for example, we don't mind if guests don't take their shoes off once they enter our house. but if we know the dynamics of someone else's home, we take shoes off once we enter homes.
at the same time, some people can't walk barefeet. like people with diabetes. it is not recommended for them to take their shoes off. especially if you are in someone else's home because you never know if they had managed to properly clean up after they broke a ceramic dinner plate.
not everyone can be measured by your standards of living, because everyone's situation is different.