I was listening to an interview/report on the radio this morning. The thrust of it was that the heels of running shoes have become more and more built up over the last ten years. Apparently this interferes with our natural gait (if I can apply that term to running), and there's a growing concern about damage to the feet. Professional runners who train barefoot, apparently, have an increasing advantage.
Children's shoes, unfortunately, follow the trends. When I was at ballet school we were obliged to wear a certain make and shape of 'Mary Janes' to keep our feet in as good a shape as possible. (Pointe shoes of course are a disaster.) The soles of these were leather, which meant they were not too rigid, and there was no 'turn up' at the toe. Unfortunately, these days it's extremely difficult to find suitable footwear for a small child, and usually the good makes are expensive. And then, of course, they're all too quickly outgrown. Our elder son used to wonder why his shoes shrank!
In winter our children need boots, shoes, socks and soft slippers for indoors. But now, but now, summer is a comin' in. Only last week the grandsons got out in the garden and pulled off their socks with great glee. And soon they'll be spending plenty of time at the beach. Nothing is better for feet than walking on beach sand. Gives a good workout, strengthens and allows our soles and toes to feel truly connected to the earth.
If you're interested, here's an article I can recommend.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2010/aug/09/barefoot-best-for-children?
