When you enter a Japanese home, you may be offered a pair of slippers at the entrance. If they are obviously too small, you do not need to force your feet into them and keep wearing them.
It is enough to say, “These are a little small for me. What should I do?” The host may have a larger pair, or they may simply tell you that it is fine to walk around in your socks.
If they say that, there is nothing rude about not wearing the slippers. Slippers are common in Japanese homes, but there is no absolute rule that everyone must wear them indoors. Some households use slippers all the time, while others hardly use them at all.
What matters most is following the way things are done in that particular home.
On the other hand, if the slippers are too small, quietly taking them off and walking around without saying anything can feel a little too casual. The problem is not really that you are no longer wearing the slippers. It is that the host provided them for you, and you decided on your own not to use them.
If you are wearing socks, the easiest thing is simply to ask, “Is it okay if I stay in my socks?” If you are barefoot, it is worth being a little more careful. Some people may feel uncomfortable about a guest walking barefoot through their home, so wearing socks is generally the safer option.
Of course, if the host says, “You’re fine as you are,” then you can simply follow their lead.
Slippers in a Japanese home are not a rule that you have to obey even if they hurt your feet. If they do not fit, just say so and follow the host’s preference. That is enough.
