Indoor use of shoes

Can anyone explain to me why so many people in the UK appear to consider it rude to remove shoes indoors - including those that are muddy (and of course almost inevitably carrying traces of dog excrement, given the quantities found on public surfaces - although things are getting a little better in that department)? It is very common to see on TV people wearing outdoor shoes even when lying on sofas and beds - surely a singularly bad example, but obviously not regarded as such. It has been suggested that if ordered to strip off one item of clothing at a time some would cling to covering their feet longer than covering their loins. Also, one suggestion claims that fear of embarrassment on exposing smelly feet is the explanation, but this is an example of the chicken-and-egg syndrome: wear shoes longer and your feet will smell more. The trail of dirt on carpets in so many private houses cannot be anything but an ovious pointer to the results of wearing outdoor shoes indoors, but still it continues. The most plausible explanation I have heard refers to the low indoor temperatures for which Britain is famous, but this is now changing (or has changed) since, following Britain taking up foreign habits, more than 50% of homes now have adequate heating (although many still only use it at certain times during certain months, not simply always when it is too cold for comfort - contrary to popular southern belief, Scotland is not greatly colder than England and Southern England is not a tropical paradise where heating is rarely required) so the need for warmth by wearing shoes must be falling - slippers are not a necessity either, although the elderly probably find them useful. I appreciate humour but please only send me a humorous reply if accompanied by a serious one. KARL KARL (Mon 09:40 18/Nov/02)