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>Some say "just wear barefoot shoes and you have all >the advantages of going barefoot and have the >protection too". >I say, and my four children certainly agree: Only >barefoot is the "real thing" and that means nothing >between your bare skin and the ground. >So-called "barefoot shoes" try to match the shape of >the foot better than traditional shoes and are often >more flexible so they allow a more natural gait. But >they still come in fixed, predetermined sizes, they >restrict contact to the air and ground, they keep >sweat in when it's warm, they muffle the sense of >touch and they don't have the wonderful toughening >effect that actual barefoot walking has: While >flexible shoes might offer better muscle workout they >don't toughen the skin of the soles and don't >stimulate the circulation as well as the changing >temperatures on bare skin do. >So "barefoot shoes" are certainly not a replacement >for the real thing (walking actually barefoot) but can >be a way to get over the coldest winter days if you >really need ... > >I also think that it's important for children to be >(almost) always barefoot, at least during the season - >and not just for a few special occasions. When they >don't touch a shoe for months their feet get best >adjusted to being free and since they are well >conditioned it's also easier for them. Always-bare >feet are tough and strong and protect themselves. I >guess we are the only family where we live doing it in >this consequence (though it's wonderful to read on the >forum there are others elsewhere). On hot summer days >we see a few others going barefoot but none of them >moving as easy as our children do on the hot pavement. > >Now it's cooling down, in previous years it would have >been the time to go shoe shopping for autumn but it's >not that cold yet (the kids are doing fine even with >the occasional morning frost). Our eldest daughter got >herself a pair of Skinners socks that she sometimes >wears in the morning, then takes them off once it's >warm enough (some might say they're shoes because they >have a rubbery sole but she insists they're just >socks); from her friend (who is a collector of socks) >she got a pair of (regular) rainbow colored socks for >her birthday and wore them when they went out together >to a party in sockfeet for fun ... however she only >regards them as a fashion accessory, not as a thing to >wear constantly and every day. >The boys both say that barefoot is cool and the way to >go and if it gets cold they are tough enough to handle >that ... and our youngest daughter miraculously >doesn't ever seem to get cold feet, her circulation is >so strong, she's totally fine. > >I guess we also entered the phase of "not owning >shoes" now, if you don't count our eldest daughter's >occasional socks. I told my children if they want to >try going barefoot in winter I certainly support them >and it will be great for their health. But if it >really gets freezing we can get them whatever >protective footwear they need, as long as they only >wear it when it's cold. > >Yes it's a wonderful thing for parents to say: My >children don't wear shoes, they are always barefoot, >it's better for them and it's as they like it.

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