From my experience living in the midwest older people tend to assume shoes on is okay while younger folks either ask what is preferred or assume they should take them off. The entire exchange at the door is very midwest of not wanting to be rude or inconvenience the other person.
I’ve read this on the internet many times. I’m not sure who those barbarians are but it’s clear the internet believes the US is shoes on.
My experience is the opposite although I second the motion of whether it’s regional. The part of my family from the Midwest are “those people”
It’s been kind of a split for me.
Growing up -
The old WW2 vet neighbor? Shoes left on.
The nice Vietnamese family? Shoes off.
The guy with three poodles? Shoes left on.
The cool vegan family who adopted? Shoes off.
The woman who collected like a dozen cats who was a hoarder? Shoes optional. But I kept my shoes on because ewww.
From my experience living in the midwest older people tend to assume shoes on is okay while younger folks either ask what is preferred or assume they should take them off. The entire exchange at the door is very midwest of not wanting to be rude or inconvenience the other person.