..to let dd go barefoot?

[mrsgordonfreeman]

Little Freeman is not walking yet, at 19 months.

So we decided to let her go barefoot.

It's been a revelation. From stumping about like a recently reanimated Frankenstein's monster, to toddling along quite happily, holding on with just one hand.

When we put the shoes back on, the monster returns, shambling beside us, asking for an "uppy" after a few minutes. Her shoes are well fitted and of good quality, but they are like little inflexible blocks on her tiny feet. They do not move with her feet, thus denying her the benefit of priorperception (feedback from the surface her foot meets which helps with her balance). Watching her feet as she walks barefoot is edifying: every toe splays out, you can see the dozens of bones and muscles move in response, absorbing the shock of her landing and pushing her off again for the next step. She will even run, hands held, round and round the playground. I tried that in her shoes and she fell over almost immediately.

Her father has recently converted to barefoot running and absolutely loves it, his posture and speed have improved tremendously since he ditched the clompy trainers (he wears barefoot shoes if he can't be sure of the surfaces).

However, the level of horror the barefoot baby causes in passers by is quite offputting. Even indoors, apparently, there are piles of broken glass, stray pins, rusty nails and pools of toxic chemicals just waiting to impale or scorch her tiny feets. Outside is basically carpeted in dog poo, barbed wire and unexploded WW2 ordnance.

I honestly thought that as a mother who still breastfeeds a toddler in public that people would comment upon that, rather than my shoeless infant, but I've never had anything at all. If someone catches a glimpse of pink feet on the other hand, they do find it necessary to point the many hazards out to me.

I don't really mind. I do scan the ground in front of her for hazards. I will scoop her up if necessary. Her walking has come along really well and she just needs a hand holding for confidence's sake.

So is it unreasonable to let her walk barefoot whenever possible? Obviously she wears shoes when it's wet, cold or hazardous, and sometimes just socks.

PS: DH was brought up barefoot in South Africa, he and his family were quite surprised by the reaction they got when strolling around M&S in bare feet in the summertime.

I've realised I sound contradictory re the size of her feet. They are in between: too big for non walking shoes, too small for walkers.

Where do you live? I really want to agree with you but round here you would get broken glass/ syringes/ dog poo in and on your feet if you walked on the pavement.

Some of those leather soft bootees would be better than barefoot...or cotton with a canvass sole. Sometimes Folksy has lovely soft handmade ones.

like these

Your opening post was entertaining reading though...

My DD's first shoes were size 2 cruisers - she was walking but they don't do walking shoes until a size 3 at Clarkes. I agree they're not overly flexible.

Soft leather ones would be perfect

Am slightly that her feet can be too big for non walking booties at a size 2! DD can still squeeze into her old ones and she is a size 4.5 (not suggesting you should squeeze but that's by the by).

I'd get her some leather ones - inch blue / daisy roots etc. I think you can get another make cheap on Ebay.

I had this dilemma with no1, not sure what I will do with no 2. It is definitely very much better for them to go barefoot until they are actually walking (even some Clarks literature says this, and I was told this in the shoe shop!) However, you are then stuck at a playground or in outdoor areas that might be icky. As it was summer when no 1 was pre-walking I think she just went around in socks. The other problem is with crawling I didn't just want her in dresses as it wasn't easy for her to crawl in the grass!

Good luck :) (Ok I am slightly hippy - slings, breastfeeding and co-sleeping BUT I thought it was following fairly standard advice as an educated-person that meant I wasn't putting her in shoes before walking!)

No experience of Start Rites. We started with shoes with Crawler shoes in size 3. I could screw up the shoes in my hand, which is a test to check flexibility.

Apparently, once children start walking properly, their feet flatten out under their weight, thus needing a larger size.

Encourage her to do lots of walking indoors, in the hope that she goes up a size, perhaps?

mumblingragdoll they are definitely better then clarks doodles or cruisers

If your DH wears barefoot running shoes when he is unsure of the surface he is running on, I think that implies barefoot isn't always safe or pleasant. Fine indoors, in gardens, on the beach etc. (but you have to be very vigilant) but not right for a child to be barefoot walking on pavements or other dirty or hazardous areas.

Are the little leather shoes called Daisy Roots? They are pretty and soft.

My older 2 still sometimes go barefooted outdoors, aged 5 and 3 !

..so they're far too small for the Doodles, which are very similar to what she has.

Ideally what I'd like are some socks with reinforced soles, enough to fend off sharp bits.

I do wash her feet! And she doesn't walk barefoot on skanky pavements. Just whenever it's possible and practical.

What about Mocassins?

Just like socks but with a leather sole. Should be really light and will protect her soles from debris...

More moccasins from Mothercare

What about two pairs of socks at once, Mrsgordonfreeman?

Have a look on www.pediped.com

These shoes have been designed to be the next best thing to having bare feet so you might feel them more appropriate than standard toddler shoes. Pairs quite often pop up on eBay too.

I think some sort of protection would give you more peace of mind because you can't be expected to see every hazard. Some pieces of glass are miniscule and you'd feel awful if one made it's way into your DD's foot!

Have you tried those soft leather slipper shoe things? That's what we used 'til DDs could walk properly. Inside no shoes, outside always shoes/slippers.

Also, we had some socks with padded soles from polarn o pyret. Think they were about £12 but very good quality and had a little band over the top to stop them coming off. I'd definitely recommend them :)

The socks are on the polarn o pyret website on the baby accessories page, called baby mocassins :)

I wouldnt put her fully barefoot if she is outside walking in playgrounds etc, indoors then fine. Outside would go for the mocasin things or the leather shoes. I still have my ds 18 months in the leather shoe things because he also is not a confident walker, and his feet are actually too big for cruiser shoes so unless i put him in solid walking shoes cant really buy him anything else. The leather ones you can get in plenty of sizes from very small to big so should definitely be able to find some. I get from twinkle toe shoes, very good value from there

I would be nervous walking down the street in town with no shoes. The ground is mostly disgusting so I say YABU.

If you are talking about a park I think YANBU

i like the ones MumblingRagDoll linked to.
that's perfect - soft enough to feel like socks, but with a bit of protection

Yes nickel they're great and the soles usually come in suede type fabric which is really soft and flexible but tough too.

I have bought some Inch Blues with owls on them :)

They say indoor use but I will try them outside as long as it's dry.

Thanks all!