In Vietnam, shoes are strongly associated with the outdoors and are considered dirty, so leaving them at the entrance is a mark of respect for the home and the people in it. You'll almost always see a cluster of shoes or sandals just outside or inside the front door — that's your clearest cue. Temples and pagodas nearly always require shoe removal as well. Some small family-run guesthouses or homestays follow the same rule, though larger hotels and modern offices generally do not.
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Try the Local Etiquette & Taboos Checker →The most reliable signal is a pile of shoes near the entrance — if you see them, take yours off. For temples, assume removal is required unless there's a clear sign otherwise. When in doubt, a quick glance at what locals around you are doing will tell you immediately.
Wearing clean socks is the easiest solution and is perfectly acceptable — no one expects bare feet. If you have shoes with many buckles or laces, wearing slip-ons during days with home or temple visits simply makes the process smoother and less disruptive for you and your hosts.
Most modern restaurants and shops do not require it. However, some traditional floor-seating restaurants — where you sit on mats or low platforms — may ask you to remove shoes before stepping onto the raised seating area. Again, look for a shoe cluster near the seating area as your cue.