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.