Barefoot Season
Barefoot Season
By Tricia Salcido
Web Exclusive - April 18, 2007
http://mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_health/barefoot-season.html
As a kid, the only thing more eagerly anticipated than the last day of school was the first day of "barefoot season." What rationale my Mom used in calculating the date remains a mystery-(perhaps she just tired of our constant pestering?)-but its proclamation was always cause for great celebration. The sensation of soft grass springing under soles or mud oozing between toes was always a delightful way to kick off the spring.
Barefoot enthusiasts start young-babies are especially inclined to have open-air tootsies. Ridding themselves of shoes and socks is a constant and serious endeavor. In the case of bare feet, it seems, children instinctively know what's best for them. Most pediatricians agree that bare feet or soft shoes are best for the full and natural development of children's feet and athletic abilities.
The unhindered maturation of muscles in our toes and feet is important for developing balance and strength. If shoes are confining throughout childhood, they can change the permanent shape and musculature of our toes and arches. Feet are one of the most complex parts of the human body, with 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles and ligaments. They handle pressures of two times your body weight with each walking step, and can excrete as much as one cup of moisture a day. Given the average person walks over 100,000 miles in their lifetime, it is important to give our feet the respect they deserve-and the best start possible.
When we were children, the advice du jour was to buy sturdy shoes that laced up to our ankles for support. Today, however, studies consistently show that confining shoes and features such as arch supports or heels will actually negatively affect foot shape and development, resulting in toes that curl under, bad arches or other foot problems once we reach adulthood. Some leading podiatrists contend that most structural problems adults have with their feet are due to stiff and confining shoes, and not genetics. These theories are based on comparison studies of populations in developed "shoe-loving" nations compared to countries where it is common to walk barefoot throughout life. The studies have found an almost complete absence of the foot problems in the "barefoot countries," as opposed to problem incidence rates upwards of 30% in American adults.
Soft, flexible and breathable shoes aren't just for babies and toddlers, but are extremely important throughout childhood, as the bones in children's feet are still malleable up until 18 years of age. Unfortunately, few children's shoe manufacturers design from the bottom up specifically for children. Instead, most of the children's shoes available today are tiny versions of adult shoes, complete with stiff soles, narrow toe beds and unhealthy arch supports.
Although most structural foot development is complete by adulthood, going barefoot has its advantages for adults as well, in terms of maintaining full range of motion and optimizing muscle tone. For an interesting perspective on how adult feet benefit, you might consider looking at the website for Nike Free. The company invested its considerable engineering forces into the development of these shoes. The result was a design based on the philosophy of providing the foot the most freedom as possible, encouraging athletes to harness their foot's natural strength and flexibility by simulating barefoot conditions.
Given that going barefoot is not always possible, here are things to consider when shopping for small tootsies:
Soft, flexible, soles that bend easily in the middle when pushing the toe towards the heel. Many soles only bend in the toe; make sure they bend where the foot naturally arches.
Look for shoes with no arch support, to simulate barefoot conditions.
Ample room for toes: true children's shoes are much wider in the toe area than adult shoes-it should be loose around the toes.
Soft, flexible uppers that breathe. Uppers made of natural, absorbing cloth or leather are preferable to synthetic material.
Enjoy the start of spring by squishing some fresh grass between your toes, and remember-barefoot is best-encourage it!
I swear I am going to print this out and keep a stack of them on me. My daughter HATES shoes most of the time. She says they hurt her feet, and though I dont see how, I trust that they either really DO hurt her feet, or that she feels more comfortable without them. Either way, as long as she isnt walking around the floors in public (I have a rule that if she wants to be barefoot, then she has to ride in the shopping cart) then why not let her be bare?
But oh no, people will glare at me (occasionally) and as they are walking away say, "That child is at least 2 years old, she should have shoes on her feet!" most of them are older people but its still annoying. LOL!
By Tricia Salcido
Web Exclusive - April 18, 2007
http://mothering.com/articles/growing_child/child_health/barefoot-season.html
As a kid, the only thing more eagerly anticipated than the last day of school was the first day of "barefoot season." What rationale my Mom used in calculating the date remains a mystery-(perhaps she just tired of our constant pestering?)-but its proclamation was always cause for great celebration. The sensation of soft grass springing under soles or mud oozing between toes was always a delightful way to kick off the spring.
Barefoot enthusiasts start young-babies are especially inclined to have open-air tootsies. Ridding themselves of shoes and socks is a constant and serious endeavor. In the case of bare feet, it seems, children instinctively know what's best for them. Most pediatricians agree that bare feet or soft shoes are best for the full and natural development of children's feet and athletic abilities.
The unhindered maturation of muscles in our toes and feet is important for developing balance and strength. If shoes are confining throughout childhood, they can change the permanent shape and musculature of our toes and arches. Feet are one of the most complex parts of the human body, with 26 bones, 33 joints and over 100 muscles and ligaments. They handle pressures of two times your body weight with each walking step, and can excrete as much as one cup of moisture a day. Given the average person walks over 100,000 miles in their lifetime, it is important to give our feet the respect they deserve-and the best start possible.
When we were children, the advice du jour was to buy sturdy shoes that laced up to our ankles for support. Today, however, studies consistently show that confining shoes and features such as arch supports or heels will actually negatively affect foot shape and development, resulting in toes that curl under, bad arches or other foot problems once we reach adulthood. Some leading podiatrists contend that most structural problems adults have with their feet are due to stiff and confining shoes, and not genetics. These theories are based on comparison studies of populations in developed "shoe-loving" nations compared to countries where it is common to walk barefoot throughout life. The studies have found an almost complete absence of the foot problems in the "barefoot countries," as opposed to problem incidence rates upwards of 30% in American adults.
Soft, flexible and breathable shoes aren't just for babies and toddlers, but are extremely important throughout childhood, as the bones in children's feet are still malleable up until 18 years of age. Unfortunately, few children's shoe manufacturers design from the bottom up specifically for children. Instead, most of the children's shoes available today are tiny versions of adult shoes, complete with stiff soles, narrow toe beds and unhealthy arch supports.
Although most structural foot development is complete by adulthood, going barefoot has its advantages for adults as well, in terms of maintaining full range of motion and optimizing muscle tone. For an interesting perspective on how adult feet benefit, you might consider looking at the website for Nike Free. The company invested its considerable engineering forces into the development of these shoes. The result was a design based on the philosophy of providing the foot the most freedom as possible, encouraging athletes to harness their foot's natural strength and flexibility by simulating barefoot conditions.
Given that going barefoot is not always possible, here are things to consider when shopping for small tootsies:
Soft, flexible, soles that bend easily in the middle when pushing the toe towards the heel. Many soles only bend in the toe; make sure they bend where the foot naturally arches.
Look for shoes with no arch support, to simulate barefoot conditions.
Ample room for toes: true children's shoes are much wider in the toe area than adult shoes-it should be loose around the toes.
Soft, flexible uppers that breathe. Uppers made of natural, absorbing cloth or leather are preferable to synthetic material.
Enjoy the start of spring by squishing some fresh grass between your toes, and remember-barefoot is best-encourage it!
I swear I am going to print this out and keep a stack of them on me. My daughter HATES shoes most of the time. She says they hurt her feet, and though I dont see how, I trust that they either really DO hurt her feet, or that she feels more comfortable without them. Either way, as long as she isnt walking around the floors in public (I have a rule that if she wants to be barefoot, then she has to ride in the shopping cart) then why not let her be bare?
But oh no, people will glare at me (occasionally) and as they are walking away say, "That child is at least 2 years old, she should have shoes on her feet!" most of them are older people but its still annoying. LOL!