Best Foot Forward

A doormat is more than a place to wipe your feet—it’s an opportunity to make a lasting impression.

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A guest at your doorstep glances down while giving her shoes a polite scuff or two. Does she see a decorative rug? A make-do mat? Perhaps a perky, quirky little number? A cheat sheet on the statement you—via your doormat—are making.

 

Fuss or Muss
This hardy coconut-fiber rug will clean boots and paws for years with a minimum of wear. For people who are into: L. L. Bean, luxury crossovers, big pets. $18–$24, Bowl & Board, 1354 Beacon St., Brookline, 617-566-4726, bowlandboard.com.

Wise Guy
A sage man once said, “There’s a very fine line between clever and stupid.” The “Hi. I’m Mat.” doormat walks that line carefully, making it an apt choice for wits who can back up its low-level humor with highbrow quippery. For people who are into: HBO’s Extras, burlesque, etymology. $18, Black Ink, 5 Brattle St., Cambridge, 617-497-1221, blackinkboston.com.

 

Hometown Hero
Residents displaying this cheeky reproduction of a manhole cover clearly love their city. Of course, it may raise compelling questions—like “Is it electrified?” For people who are into: Dropkick Murphys, brewery tours, other thirtysomething MySpace users. $25, Institute of Contemporary Art, 100 Northern Ave., Boston, 617-478-3100, icaboston.org.

 

 

Flip-Flopper
While lots of colors may suggest décor indecision, this mat’s lineage (it’s made from beach-shoe factory remnants) places it firmly in the surfer constituency. For people who are into: nongenetically modified soy, agave nectar. $29–$89, vivaterra.com.

 

 

Back to Basics
Cheery and upbeat, but smart in space-age fibers, this Dash & Albert polypropylene mat appeals to folks who enjoy donning aprons regularly. For people who are into: brasseries, biodynamic wine. $34, Hudson, 312 Shawmut Ave., Boston, 617-292-0900, hudsonboston.com.

 

 

Matrosexual
The tidy fashion plate who owns this indoor/outdoor shag by Chilewich carefully steps over it each time he takes his puggle out for its evening constitutional. For people who are into: the subprime loan crisis, coq au vin, Moby, HNWIs. $45–$150, Didriks, 190 Concord Ave., Cambridge, 617-354-5700, didriks.com.

 

Stealth Mopper
While guests will surely put this postage stamp–size Tibetan rug to use, they’ll need military precision to keep both feet on it while doing so. For people who are into: K rations, firm handshakes. $35, Bodhi Tree, 1684 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 617-441-3330, bodhitree-cambridge.com.