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And changing the shape will, of course, alter how effectively they work. Even if it means permanently changing the natural shape of the foot.īeginning in infancy - when bones are still forming - we start putting our children’s feet into shoes that look the way we think they should look, ultimately changing the shape of their feet. So we don’t create shoes that follow the shape of the foot instead, we create shoes that our feet have to fit into. We’ve actually become conditioned to believe that that’s what a foot should look like.
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The toes remain spread apart, like a newborn baby’s.īut in our culture, we like the appearance of a tapered toe on our shoes. People who live in cultures where going barefoot is the norm don’t have feet like ours. Why is that? Because a lifetime of wearing shoes has actually altered the shape of the foot! Photo via Flickr CC. But the average adult’s foot is widest at the ball, and the toes pinch inward. (If you take a look at a newborn’s footprint, you might notice this feature). You may never have noticed this, but shoes actually change the shape of our feet over the course of our lives.Īt birth, the human foot gets wider as it progresses to the ends of the toes. Allow Feet to Grow and Develop the Way They Were Meant To Raising kids barefoot: it’s more important than you would have thought 1. Part of it is a rite of passage in childhood, but it also has some surprising health benefits. There are several benefits for kids going barefoot. Barefoot kids: Why you might want to raise kids without shoes (or less shoe-wearing, at least) Why go barefoot? If I feel like giving my feet a little TLC, I whip up a quick batch of this sea salt exfoliating foot scrub. Otherwise, we’re almost always completely unshod, weather permitting. We keep a pair of sandals for each of us in the van, to slip on before entering a store or restaurant (It can be annoying to get hassled by a store manager for being barefoot). Now that the weather’s warmer, I encourage my three-year-old daughter to be barefoot pretty much all the time, as I am. Going barefoot is just one of the simple things to enjoy in the hot months. It’s good for all of us, but little ones - whose bodies are growing rapidly - can especially benefit from going without shoes.
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Who doesn’t feel a bit nostalgic remembering the childhood pleasure of going around barefoot? Almost anyone would agree that it’s enjoyable to kick off one’s shoes every once in a while and feel the earth beneath your feet.īut did you know there are lots of good reasons to encourage your child to go barefoot? Not just occasionally, but as often as possible? Walking barefoot through the warm summer grass. Barefoot kids have feet that are able to grow naturally leading to a healthier gait, and more.