I simply must remove my shoes before I enter a house. Outdoor footwear – as a repository of disgusting things picked up from soil surfaces, pavements and public toilets – has no place in the home.
It’s often assumed the Chinese have always followed this practice.
But for about 1,000 years before the 20th century, most stepped into their homes without removing or changing their shoes.
Historical records show that early on, the Chinese did remove their shoes, because they sat on the floor,…