I'll do my best to respect my host, but there are two seasons where a lot of visits happen: 1) winter, and it's mighty cold at the floor level. 2) summer, and a good host will invite his guests to the back yard.
Neither of these situations are conducive to removing one's footwear at the door.
I think too many Canadians have lost the fun of wandering inside and outside at will, and have opted for horrible carpeting choices which do not fit well with the Canadian climate and social customs. If I have made my home so uncomfortable for my guests that I would rather have the company of my carpeting than of my friends, I have failed miserably as a human being. If you want to keep your shoes on in my home, I have a vacuum (and a steam cleaner) I can use to tidy up after our visit is done.
Neither of these situations are conducive to removing one's footwear at the door.
I think too many Canadians have lost the fun of wandering inside and outside at will, and have opted for horrible carpeting choices which do not fit well with the Canadian climate and social customs. If I have made my home so uncomfortable for my guests that I would rather have the company of my carpeting than of my friends, I have failed miserably as a human being. If you want to keep your shoes on in my home, I have a vacuum (and a steam cleaner) I can use to tidy up after our visit is done.