Etiquette.
There are some things that are out of question. Like mixing two beers at a bar! Did you know? Learn what and what not to do while in the Czech Republic.
What is there to say about shoes? Take them off when you are invited into somebody’s home. The Czechs normally won’t force you to take off your footwear but they won’t be too happy either if you bring the street’s dirt onto their floors. Sometimes your host will give you slippers to wear instead.
On a note, what may be called ‘public peeing’ is not that uncommon in the Czech Republic. You will find puzzled foreigners tell you their little picnic stories from when a guy right next to them peed against a tree while they were having their sandwich or the occasional kid let loose on a street in front of a store. Then Czechs do love dogs and running after your pouch with a plastic bag is still not very common in the country. Those are all some little factors that might contribute to the convention of taking one’s shoes off indoors.
Some years ago people also wore their slippers to work. Even though, this has by and large vanished it can still be observed on occasions.
What should I wear? Czechs dress carefully and neatly. Exceptions do exist. Try to look your best if invited or when at the theatre, opera or in concerts.
If you have half-finished your beer at a pub, maybe the tender will set a new cool one in front of you. Fight all your instincts now; don’t pour the lukewarm rest of your beer into the new one. No! Not even a little bit. If you do, you are considered an ill-mannered tourist at best. Sometimes you will be refused further service.
Don’t start a meal without first wishing your fellow eaters ‘dobrou chut’, bon appétit, enjoy your meal. Otherwise you may add that point to your ‘Why-I-am-a-Barbarian’ list.
As it is with every culture codes one tries to establish, they are only true and right up to a point. Maybe, according to your own experience, you will find them even wrong and ridiculous altogether. But sometimes there is a need for generalizing in order to point towards cultural differences that are of importance. This said, there are always exceptions to the rule!