Weekly barefoot updates! Mum, dad, and two boys of 6 and 8.

The best alternative for my kids right now is to send them to send them to a normal elementary school. If I find a way to get them to a school the added bonus of letting them go barefoot, I'll let them go, but for now our situation doesn't allow it. My main priority is their education and their ability to fit into society.

Does anybody know of some barefoot style shoes that don't look explicitly barefoot? Not vibrams and stuff, just comfortable school shoes?

 

No I don't , but after all school is just school like a job is just a job. they put some kind of footwear before entering, they're free to discard it as soon as they step out. This also brings a lesson to learn, society demands some degree of compliance but those sometimes stupid and arbitrary rules shouldn't become so ingrained in our personality that we cannot imagine another way of living. I meet people that , under no external pressure, i mean even in an empty street at night with no one around tell me "oh i would like to be barefoot like you!" and i tell them well then please just go on, take 'em off. After all we are alone here. And those people don't DARE to. It is like they have a brain block, their super-ego is kicking the Id in the butt.

 

Don't you have one of them sudbury schools nearby? Kids can freely go barefoot to those. But if not its ashame but they will now have to learn that society discriminates against the barefooters and occasionally shoes have to be worn.

 

Just try and get wide toe box shoes so they don't get foot deformities. All the popular brands the kids wear likely make them. My left foot has shoe damage from wearing tight shoes as a kid.

wide toe box sneakers kids - Google Search

Searches related to wide toe box sneakers kids
children's shoes with wide toe box

kids minimalist shoes

Make sure they are cool looking. Kids always want to look cool.

 

Not nearby, no. The nearest one is impractically far.

 

Indoors only, or outdoors use as well? For indoors, you might wish to consider gymnastics shoes:


Designed with mobility in mind, but a closed toe design regardless.

 

I don't want anything that looks too crazy in case they get peer pressure.

They know that they might be going to school soon and they say that as soon as the only time they will wear shoes is before entering the school and right after leaving. I don't want to force them into anything that could make them feel uncomfortable socially. So overall, my main priority would be indoor shoes although that could change in future, although I can afford to buy some more versatile ones.

 

Perhaps an option for school shoes could be a simple pair of sandals? A lot of kids these days seem to be wearing slide sandals or Birkenstocks, so they wouldn't look totally out of place. Most kids' sandals seem to have thicker soles so they're not quite barefoot friendly and would take some time getting used to, but they can be slipped off pretty easily, allowing kids to be barefoot in class.

 

I know these folks have adult shoes, no idea what sizes your kiddos wear but you might give this site a look. I have a pair of their sneakers and I like them.

Best Barefoot Shoes and Sandals for Running, Hiking, Walking - Xero Shoes

 

Thanks for the link. There's a pair of shoes there I like the look of, I will check them out a bit more later.

I am sure my kids will be fine wearing barefoot shoes. I am just worried that they will start to lose their calluses

 

Only trouble with sandals young boys sweat like crazy underneath!

 

Well, sandals can be taken off quite easily, and are probably easier to clean than most closed shoes.

Or they can be worn with socks...

 

Socks with sandals goes through me like bad chili. Especially on younger dudes.

 

I never can wrap my head around the socks and sandals thing, I've even seen plenty of cases of people wearing flip flops with socks! Yuck. Looks silly.

 

Yeah, they are definitely not a look for everyone. Socks with sandals worked for me since they keep my feet warm when it gets a bit too cold for comfort, yet still provide far more freedom than ordinary shoes. Personally, I never really got the appeal of 'barefoot shoes' like Vibrams, and most people here would unironically prefer the socks and sandals look. Must be a cultural thing.

I used to wear socks and sandals more often as a kid, and I guess that's why I don't really mind how they look. Nowadays I still occasionally get funny looks when I'm barefoot, so I guess 'looking silly' just comes with the territory.

Though, wearing flip-flops (thongs) with socks - now that's where I draw the line!

 

Socks and flip-flops don't work well together. Never got that.

Socks and sandals--Birkenstocks, for example--works on colder days. Otherwise, no.

Of course, I'd MUCH rather just be barefoot!

 

My kids have webbed toes so anything with individual toes like vibram won't even go on their feet.

 

From a practical point of view, I don't understand the appeal of barefoot shoes either when you have the free alternative of just going barefoot. However, it makes sense if you want to stay away from attention or you frequent places not suitable for bare feet.

Anyways, we will most likely be getting vivo shoes for both. They look nice and they are not too damaging.

 

I don't get "barefoot shoes" either. They look ridiculous and look uncomfortable. I don't like anything between my toes (except maybe mud) so flip-flops are out. When I have to wear something I wear Crocs. Yeah, ugly as shit but they easily slip on and off. I just keep a pair in the car.

 

I much prefer sandals to just about any closed-toe shoes - but I've never liked the feel of straps between my toes. Flip-flops and other toe-strap sandals are therefore something my feet absolutely can't stand.

Crocs, I don't mind those - sure, most people see them as ugly, but they probably think my bare feet are ugly as well. I guess they would probably be right, but that never stopped me from going barefoot, just like I've never felt uneasy wearing socks with my sandals when it got colder. The ability to easily slip footwear on and off is a crucial feature of just about any shoes I would ever wear.