Are barefoot shoes good for children? Yes!
We would even say definitely! They are appropriate for girls and boys but don’t purchase any other shoes. Unless, of course, they have some major health complication that would make it impossible.
At what age to get the first shoes for your children? We talk about it more in this article. But why start with barefoot shoes?
A natural development of the child’s foot
Let's face it, leaving your children entirely barefoot during the period of climbing and standing will benefit them the most. You'd better turn the heating up and take their socks off because every barrier between the foot and the surface brings some limitations.
You feel the impulses from the floor with your feet and maintain balance through spread toes, but by wearing too tight socks (let alone any shoes), you take the feeling away from children. Try cooking and eating your dinner with mittens and see how comfortably you can function.
Bare feet are essential for learning natural, healthy, and correct movement habits. No one explained to us in childhood how to put one foot in front of the other and maintain balance. The body figured it out by trial and error, and after a thousand falls, we learned to stand and move in space.
But then came the first booties so the child wouldn't injure his feet while outdoors. You ceremoniously put on the first pair, preferably documenting the festive moment properly, then watched with displeasure as the child sat down after a few steps, took the shoes off, threw them somewhere, and continued without them. Why do children do that?
The simple answer may be that they don’t feel comfortable in them. Suddenly the learned barefoot patterns don’t work because the shoes don’t allow your child a sufficient range of motion. And since mom or dad insists on wearing them, the child must gradually adapt the earlier correct technique to the nature of the footwear.
Can you give barefoot shoes to your children?
Now we do not mean this as a question but rather as a plea or even an appeal to your conscience. It is far more beneficial for children to develop good habits from the beginning than trying to unlearn long-lasting bad habits later in childhood (or with their first health problems in adulthood).
What makes barefoot shoes as first shoes (and all other shoes) so much better than regular children’s shoes? For one thing, it has a wider toe box so that the toes are not cramped and can actively work. Next, the thin and versatile flexible sole allows surface sensation and unwinding of the foot from it. And last but not least, a flat sole (without a raised heel and toe box) positively affects the building and strengthening of the foot arch and correct placement of the center of gravity.
Can we wear barefoot shoes?
Maybe now, like us, you think it’s more than a good idea to „prescribe“ barefoot shoes to your children, especially if they have their first steps ahead of them. You subconsciously know that it will benefit them. So we ask, why don’t you wear them as well if you know their benefits?
Because they no longer resemble knee-high bio-eco sandals, on the contrary, we have many stylish brands for ladies and gentlemen. They are more comfortable than traditional shoes, especially in the toe box. And you can't ignore the health benefits of improved walking technique either.
If you’re hesitant, buy one pair and see how it fits. Read the advice in our article, get help through our customer support or talk to us in person.