Is barefoot or hardsoled shoes better?

[Aurian]

Hi,

I wasn't sure where to post this - I guess it fits under "natural" parenting.

I have a toddler and I am just getting him into shoes. Before this he was wearing soft-soled leather shoes.

I am very interested in making sure that he doesn't have foot problems later in life but I have heard two schools of thought.

Natural: Let the kids go as barefoot as possible, it strengthens their feet and prevents foot problems

Hard soled: Kids need hard soled shoes with good ankle support to prevent problems later in life

Has anyone done the natural, barefoot method? Any opinions or experience in this area? Intuitively I like barefoot, but fear led me to buy a "quality" pair of toddlers sandals for $70 this week!

Thanks,

Jess

[Heather Micaela]

Why either/or? Coudln't you go with soft-soled ones like Robeez or some good flexible soles?

Hardsoles are really bad for the feet, btw. I keep my kids barefoot unless it is not safe terrain to do so.

[Aurian]

Hi Heather,

I hear you, just that a friend's paediatrician have recommended that kids must wear shoes! I was just wanting to hear about the other side of the story - is this what most professionals say, to go barefoot, or is it a sort of homebirth/homeschooling e.g. alternative thing?

Also, how can you tell when a shoe has a "flexible" sole. The shoes I bought him have some movement in them - how flexible is flexible?

My son tears up his soft-soled leather shoes, and complains when he walks on stones even with them on, so I don't see how someone can go full-time barefoot or soft-soled - anybody that has toddlers full-time barefoot or soft-sole?

Thanks,

Jess

[milkmommy]

I'd learn more towards bare or flexiable soles and nothing that restricts the ankles. I remember when it was believed they needed those kinda high top ankle covered footware because they needed the "angle support" but it was discovered it actually made things worse by weakening that area...
We did make the switch to pure soft soels around age 2 beacause she was just shreading the bottoms of hers. we started going for more durable shoes but with flexiable soles.

some I like
http://www.pediped.com/home/home.aspx
http://www.seekairun.com/index.html


Deanna

[Heather Micaela]

There is another thread in little explorers that talks about soft soled shoes:)

[Aurian]

Here is the thread on soft-soled shoes (http://www.gentlechristianmothers.com/community/showthread.php?t=342231) for ages 1-4

I have read that thread. It was mostly about what age to stop wearing soft-soled shoes and brands that people had tried.

I would like to know why soft-soled/barefoot is recommended, and why hard-soles arn't, and what the definition of a flexible shoe is. If it is really flexible, does that mean it will be loose on the foot? I kindof think all shoes are flexible arn't they?

Sorry, I am a complete newbie to this stuff - I hadn't even heard of kids going barefoot most of the time until last week.

Thanks,

Jess

[milkmommy]

flexiable soles can you with fair amount of ease bend the shoes bottom toe to heel and back..
It was once believed that a child walked FLAT footed when learning and that there ankles were weak and not developed so Drs said to help all kids needed to be in hard riggid shoes with high top ankes support. Shoe stores agreed (after all the experts said so) and these became the standard in footware for early walkers.
http://comps.fotosearch.com/comp/DNV/DNV238/white-leather-baby_~050211_5303_1222_jshs.jpg

LAtter research and with the aid of better technology that could say properly film have a childs bones and such really work realized that the previous was not true.. Little ones walk ball to heel jsut like grown ups and those ankles are fully developed all along...

Deanna

[mamacat]

Well,earth shoe style shoes were developed for adults because of it being a known thing that the healthiest thing for feet is walking barefoot in the sand.I agree that a thin totally flexible sole is the best for outside and the robeez style for inside.You can tell by attempting to bend a shoe holding the toe and heel.Running shoes with big thick soles hurt my feet because it is so hard to bend them.Likewise,sandals or flip-flop style shoes with thick rubber soles are not good for your feet either.

[MamaPepper]

My husband used to work as a pedorthist for a while and his take on it is;

It's better to go barefoot in most environments, because it strengthens the feet and the bones, and helps because it is natural movement. In a hard soled shoe, the foot is controlled, not necessarily in natural movement (but strapped down) which doesn't allow the bones to work properly. . . which is essentially walking in a cast.

He also doesn't feel that hard soled shoes in kids support the arch properly. . .

Now, that being said, IF your child is walking barefoot on hard surfaces all of the time then barefoot likely isn't better. Unnatural surfaces are not good for anybody. Nobody should be walking on concrete or hardwood floors barefoot all of the time.

The only thing (on unnatural surfaces) that would be better than barefoot would be a shoe specifically fit for your child by an orthepedist, or possibly a properly made boot/shoe with an elevated heel, because it sort of puts in an arch (though with that it shortens the achilles). . . but on natural surfaces (i.e. outside) I'd keep your children barefoot as much as possible.

[Katigre]

Get flexible soled shoes. You want enough of a sole to protect the bottom of the foot from injury by hard/scratchy/poking surfaces (especially when walking around outside the house) but you need the flexibility so that his natural development isn't hindered.

There is no reason to spend $70 on a pair of quality shoes. I personally like Stride Rite sandals once my kids are over 18 months - they are very comfortable and flexible. Other great ones are Pedipeds, See Kai Run, and Robeez Tredz.

ETA: I see you're in Australia, I'm not sure what prices are like there or what brands are available, so disregard my second paragraph :).

[Proverbs31]

What Katigre said.

You should be able to bend the shoe's sole in your hand pretty easily (when your kid's not wearing it :giggle ). That's flexible.

Stride Rite does have some good ones (they also have some stiffer ones though, so I always do the bend test). However, they are quite expensive, and almost never have my kids' sizes on their clearance rack.

We've been pleased with many of the SmartFit brand from Payless Kids (bright yellow box). Again, they do have some stiffer-soled shoes, so always test the particular one you're thinking of buying. But by and large, they are quite flexible, more so than even some of the Stride Rite shoes (and much less expensive).

[Kiara.I]

You might like this article:
http://ny mag.com/health/features/46213/ (I broke the link because it refers to evolution.)

Part of the reason you are seeing different recommendations is location. In North America, now the professional recommendation is barefoot, or as soft as possible. However, I had a friend from the Czech Republic who was here for a couple of years and she insisted on putting her son in hard-soled, high-ankle shoes, because that was the professional recommendation at home.

Our 11-month-old is still in socks only or the soft, thin leather shoes. The 3-year-old is still barefoot at home at all times, and when we go out he's in shoes I can bend in one hand.

You will have to decide which camp to believe. :shrug3 I'm pretty convinced that God knew what He was doing when he built babies' feet and he doesn't need engineers to help Him, but it can be pretty hard to go against professional advice when you are being told you're ruining your baby. So, :hug2

[Herbwifemama]

I'm staunchly in the barefoot camp. But I go for flexible soles (I've been known to sport Isotoner slippers as shoes- done so since college) when I wear shoes, and same with dd. Personally, I just feel like I can feel the ground better that way. And I have a way of walking barefoot- first of all, my soles are hard, I can walk on broken glass, and get glass in my foot, and not bleed. But that happens indoors, not out. ;) And I'm scanning the ground when I go barefoot, watching for the safest place to put my foot, and if I step wrong, I step toe first, so I can move my foot really fast. It's second nature, though it sounds complicated.

I once got into an argument with a Stride Rite salesperson- so just know where they're coming from if you go in. I wasn't prepared for a fight. :hunh

Here's some of my resources: http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/swc5.htm
http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/pfbc.htm

These people are a bit more dogmatic about it than I am, but only slightly. ;) I had no idea it was such a big deal. I've just been doing it since I was a kid, and it's my preferred method of being. :shrug2

[mamajane]

There's even a movement right now of adults running barefoot. I think the idea is that it prevents injury by retraining people to land correctly on each foot, the opposite of how running shoes are built. There was an article in the paper last week. My kids are usually barefoot, and I always was before I got too heavy to be...I don't like being barefoot on hardwood anymore. I think mostly barefoot makes sense.

[Heather Micaela]

I wanted to say that I have a really high arch - which caused me ankle pain and injuries in traditional shoes. Though to some degree what I need is custom orthotics, I found out the second best thing for me feet is to be barefoot as often as possible or in flexible soled shoes.

Since I cannot afford orthotics, I am either barefoot or in Crocs 99% of the time. And since that time I have fallen less and had less ankle pain than when I was in regular shoes minus orthotics.

[Aurian]

Thankyou so much everyone!:D
I have read all your responses and had a look at the links you have given me as well. There is so much information out there, but I wasn't even aware of it.

I let my son run barefoot on grass today and it really was wonderful to watch. Hubby and I kicked the ball around barefoot too:)

After reading all the info I have decided this will be my strategy:

Barefoot at home, and outdoors on grass etc and our paving when it's not hot;
Soft soled shoes, that he already has, when we go out but indoors (like church or shopping)
And flexible soled shoes for when he needs foot protection. As it is we still only have the hard soled 'ankle supporting' shoes, so he will wear these in this instance until we buy the flexible ones, which shouldn't be for longer than a month

I had a brief look online and we do have See Kai Run here, but haven't checked the rest for flexible sole shoes.

It is scary for me to do this, because my MIL whom I love, has been on my back a bit about getting some 'supportive' shoes, esp. ones that have a bit of a heel, ankle support and hard soles! And she is a retired kindy teacher so se is probably going to confront me about it with some horror stories of children that didn't wear 'proper' shoes. But I am going to go with my intuition on this one and we'll see how it goes:)

Little feet are so cute - who would want to hide them?:giggle

[Heather Micaela]

Sounds like a great solution :rockon:heart

[Herbwifemama]

It is scary for me to do this, because my MIL whom I love, has been on my back a bit about getting some 'supportive' shoes, esp. ones that have a bit of a heel, ankle support and hard soles! And she is a retired kindy teacher so se is probably going to confront me about it with some horror stories of children that didn't wear 'proper' shoes. But I am going to go with my intuition on this one and we'll see how it goes:)

Little feet are so cute - who would want to hide them?:giggle

She's of the Old School. :) I think you have enough info to explain to her what you're doing, and if she keeps harping, just put your foot down (pun intended ;)). Bean dip, and all that.

Stride Rite man tried to scare me- scare tactics! About shoes! :hunh He said, "What if she falls down and twists her ankle?" I was like, "Um, then I comfort her?" She is SO much more likely to fall in clunky "supportive" shoes. :rolleyes

[Chaos Coordinator]

my mother in law also told me that my son needs "more supportive" shoes now that he's walking. honestly, i keep him barefoot at home (or in socks, since its cold and we have hardwoods and tile) if we are going out but inside, such as the grocery store, i do leather soles, and if we are going to be playing outside like at a park or something, then i do rubber soles...i never thought to check if they are flexible enough....i just buy what i can afford, whatever is cheap at walmart or target, or if they have any of his size at the consignment store. and thank goodness i have this theory because he completely skipped over size 5s and went from 4s to 6s. he doesn't wear them much so i think it will be ok. i just told my mil human feet are perfectly designed to go barefoot. she had gotten onto me about walking across her rock/broken glass/cigarette butt driveway barefoot and even *gasp* driving barefoot (apparently that's illegal?) but i have problems with my feet and have always preferred to go barefoot. i can even remember being a kid and asking my parents if i could go outside WITHOUT shoes on....to which i received a staunch "NO"....but thankfully i'm an adult now and can trust my own intuition lol. only drawback to running around outside barefoot as an adult is tracking in dirt - at least w/ shoes, i can take them off and leave my dirt at the door.

and i have had people say strange things to me as an adult about wearing flip flops in the rain (they dont get soggy) or in the cold (yes my toes are cold!) and i even had a medical professional get on to me for wearing house shoes (and pajama pants) out in public....i told him if he was in as much pain as i was, he would not want to put on restrictive clothing or shoes either!! MYOB dude, seriously!

---------- Post added at 04:28 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:26 PM ----------

wanted to add...i would have no qualms with sending ds onto a playground in leather soles if the ground was dry, except that we dont immunize and i worry about tetanus :)