I don't know why I hadn't given it much thought before, but Disney movies do seem to feature a lot of barefoot characters, and just just the obvious ones like Tarzan. It's also all the more ironic considering how strict they are about shoes at the amusement parks. Barefoot in Arizona: Is Disney Secretly Pro-Barefoot?
Lessee... Aladdin, Esmeralda, Pocahontas, Rapunzel, Mowgli for pretty obvious reasons, Ralph from Wreck-it Ralph, Ariel very often once Ursula gives her legs, Moana (a.k.a Vaiana in some regions), Aurora at least during certain parts of the Sleeping Beauty... According to this early design sketch, even Eilonwy from the Black Cauldron was supposed to have this, as per the original books, but Disney changed their minds and gave her shoes instead: http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4QyUzYvZU...ginlz9z0/s1600/black_cauldron_artwork_00b.jpg Yeah, I think you're onto something here.
There's also Luca, a recent animated feature made by Pixar (which is owned by Disney). It is one of the most barefoot-friendly movies I've seen or heard of in quite a while. Two of the main characters, Luca and Alberto, spend almost the entirety of the movie barefoot!
Just to update on this, the new Little Mermaid-remake definitely isn't reversing Disney's barefoot trend, as Halle Bailey's Ariel is seen frequently barefooting it once the story enters the Ariel's got legs-phase. In fact, the movie makes it a point to show Ariel actively disliking shoes, and only wearing light sandals, when she can't get away with being fully barefoot. Definitely supported by the fact that prince Eric's island is located in someplace tropical, and the local people see bare feet and open toed sandals as part of normal life there.
Disney is less real world and more "do as the lawyers say". Google "disney shoes" and see the thousands of items. You cannot sell bare feet.
