Home / Barefoot
Research shows that a child's foot develops most naturally and most healthily when they walk barefoot. Barefoot shoes imitate exactly that feeling, and so help the foot develop as fully as it can.
Toes spread freely, just as they do barefoot - nothing squeezes them together.
The child feels the ground underfoot. That works the muscles of the foot and builds balance.
Heel and toes sit level, so the body keeps its natural posture.
The sole of the foot is dense with nerve endings, and the signals from them build coordination. A foot that grows in its natural shape keeps that shape into adulthood.
We are sharing the results of six scientific studies.
Wide toe box
88.8%
of indoor shoes were too short
When the shoes of 858 pre-school children were measured, 88.8% of their indoor footwear turned out to be too short. The shorter the shoe, the larger the sideways angle of the big toe.
Klein et al., BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 2009 — 858 childrenArch of the foot
8.6% / 2.8%
flat foot in shod and in barefoot children
Footprints of 2300 children aged 4 to 13: flat foot was found in 8.6% of those who walked in closed shoes, and in only 2.8% of those who went barefoot.
Rao and Joseph, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Br), 1992 — 2300 childrenFlexible sole
Biomechanical measurement of children walking showed that a conventional shoe reduces movement in the midfoot and in the joint of the big toe. In a thin, flexible shoe the motion comes closer to walking barefoot.
Wolf et al., Gait & Posture, 2008Muscle and strength
2
school terms in minimalist shoes
Pupils aged 9 to 12 wore minimalist shoes for two school terms. By the end they showed a larger cross-section of the intrinsic foot muscles, more strength in the big toe and a higher medial arch.
Fong Yan et al., Journal of Sports Sciences, 2024Balance and motor skills
6–10
the ages where the difference is largest
A comparison of children in South Africa and Germany showed that between the ages of 6 and 10, those who habitually went barefoot performed better in balance and standing long jump tests.
Zech, Hollander et al., Frontiers in Pediatrics, 2018Shape of the foot
810
children and adolescents measured
Measurements of 810 children and adolescents showed that wearing shoes every day affects the arch of the foot and the angle of the big toe. What a child wears today shapes the foot they will have tomorrow.
Hollander et al., Scientific Reports, 2017 — 810 childrenThis page is educational and does not replace a consultation with a doctor. We are not orthopaedists - we are parents who went looking for this for our own child and are sharing what we found.
Orthopaedic shoes and arch supports are often recommended to children as a precaution. Here is what the research shows.
Flat feet are three times rarer in barefoot children.
Among 2300 children aged 4–13, a flat foot was found in 8.6% of those who walked in closed shoes and in only 2.8% of those who walked barefoot.
Rao and Joseph, The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Br), 1992Walking barefoot exercises the muscles of the foot.
Pupils aged 9–12 who spent two school terms in minimalist shoes ended up with larger intrinsic foot muscles, more big-toe strength and a higher medial arch.
Fong Yan et al., Journal of Sports Sciences, 2024An arch support does not build a child's arch.
129 children with flexible flatfoot wore corrective shoes, heel cups or custom inserts for three years — their feet developed exactly as they did without any treatment. An arch support is used to ease pain, not to build an arch.
Wenger et al., The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery (Am), 1989Before school age a flat foot is normal for the age.
Of 835 children measured, 54% of the three-year-olds had a flat foot and only 24% of the six-year-olds: the arch forms by itself as the child grows. Genuinely pathological flatfoot was confirmed in under 1% — while 10% of the children were wearing arch supports.
Pfeiffer et al., Pediatrics, 200610–12 mm
Froddo builds 10–12 mm of room into every closed shoe - that is exactly how much longer the insole is than the recommended foot length. It lets the shoe fit properly and gives the foot room to grow.
Measure both feet and enter the longer one, in centimetres.
| EU size | Insole length | Foot length |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 13,1 cm | 11,5–12,4 cm |
| 21 | 13,8 cm | 12,5–13,1 cm |
| 22 | 14,4 cm | 13,2–13,7 cm |
| 23 | 15,1 cm | 13,8–14,3 cm |
| 24 | 15,8 cm | 14,4–15 cm |
| 25 | 16,4 cm | 15,1–15,7 cm |
| 26 | 17,1 cm | 15,8–16,3 cm |
| 27 | 17,7 cm | 16,4–16,9 cm |
| EU size | Insole length | Foot length |
|---|---|---|
| 28 | 18,4 cm | 17–17,5 cm |
| 29 | 19,1 cm | 17,6–18,2 cm |
| 30 | 19,7 cm | 18,3–18,9 cm |
| 31 | 20,4 cm | 19–19,6 cm |
| 32 | 21,1 cm | 19,7–20,3 cm |
| 33 | 21,7 cm | 20,4–20,9 cm |
| 34 | 22,4 cm | 21–21,5 cm |
| 35 | 23,1 cm | 21,6–21,9 cm |
Please noteBarefoot shoes are not suitable for people with diabetes, neuropathy or other foot conditions. Consulting a doctor before purchase is recommended.
If a child has no diagnosed foot problem, the research is on the barefoot side: flat feet are three times rarer in children who walk barefoot, and minimalist shoes strengthen the muscles of the foot. Orthopaedic shoes and arch supports do not build the arch - in a three-year study the feet of children with flexible flatfoot developed exactly as they did without any treatment; an arch support is used to ease pain. Before school age a flat foot is normal for the age, and the arch forms by itself as the child grows. If walking hurts, or a doctor has already confirmed a rigid flatfoot, follow your doctor's advice.
At Barefoot Eleboot, online at barefoot-eleboot.ge. Choose a model and a size, pay by card on the site, and a courier brings the order to you - in Tbilisi and to the regions. If you are unsure about the size, write to us and we will work it out together.
Shoes that feel like walking barefoot: a wide toe box, a thin flexible sole and no heel.
Yes. barefoot-georgia.ge brings you here, and many people look for us as Barefoot Georgia. Our name is Barefoot Eleboot - a Georgian shop for barefoot children's shoes.
