ARTICLES, VIDEOS and BLOG ENTRIES

(Listed chronologically by publishing date)

• VIDEO: Going to school barefoot in an island paradise – by Emma Siossian and Hannah Ross, in ABC News/Australia (August 16, 2024) – On world-heritage listed Lord Howe Island exists NSW’s most remote school, where learning also comes from the environment, and students go to school barefoot.

• Verify: Yes, if your child is barefoot outside it will strengthen their immune system – Jeremy Baker, KENS5 News (San Antonio, TX) investigative report (July 14, 2023) – In response to the question: “Is it true that if kids are barefoot outside that it strengthens their immune system?” the report consults a medical expert and medical study and concludes: “True!”

• How To Nurture Your Child’s Connection To The Earth With Barefoot Living – by Ruth Williams, in  Art of Healthy Living  (July 6, 2023) – The author outlines the various health benefits of barefoot living that aid the physical development of young toddlers, and lists enjoyable barefoot activities that both parents and child can do together.

• Should we Be Raising Kids Barefoot? – video by SciShow  (May 22, 2023) – Noting that shoes can change how feet grow and develop, the video summarizes research on differences in foot health between those who live barefoot and those who wear shoes.

• Barefoot Benefits: 10 Reasons Walking Barefoot is Good for You! – by Nell Regan in Rhythms of Play (May, 2023).  NOTE: Excellent article except for references to scientifically unsupported Earthing claims.

• These benefits of letting your toddler walk barefoot will surprise you! – (Author unnamed) Times of India (February 15, 2023) – Article highlights the benefits of allowing infants and young children to go barefoot, based on expert testimony.

• How to Transition Your Kids to a Barefoot Lifestyle – by multiple authors (unnamed) in WikiHow.com (September, 2022)

• Studies show being barefoot makes you happier & smarter! – by Becky Mansfield, in Your Modern Family – A summary of studies on children’s health benefits from going barefoot (January, 2021)

• We Should Let Our Kids Go Barefoot As Often As Possible – Annie Reneau (updated July 21, 2020.  Originally published March, 2017)

• Benefits of Being Barefoot – By Dr. Angie, in My Family First Chiro (May, 2020)

• Barefoot Babies and Proprioception – As told by Joanna Ferraro, including excerpt from Dr. Kacie Flegal, DC. in California Assoc. of Forest Schools (March, 2020)

• Going Barefoot Benefits Your Child’s Brain Development – in PaperPinecone, a helpful summary of the significant benefits of allowing children to go barefoot noted by experts and research (January 2, 2020)

• Barefoot Babies – by Dr. Kacie Flegal , in Natural Child Magazine – On how keeping little feet in the buff encourages a strong foundation for optimal brain and nervous system development (date not shown, likely late 2019).

• Toeing the Line on Your Baby’s Feet – in The Pulse, a blog by Pregistry– An excellent medical article which also encourages allowing children to go barefoot for better health (August, 2019)

• Let Them Be Barefoot: The Importance of Kids Going Shoe-less – by Nathanal Littauer, in Stack (July, 2019)

• It’s science: Being barefoot boosts your kid’s development– by Pam Moore in Motherly (April, 2019) – Cites authoritative research to support the conclusion that, “…optimum foot development in children occurs in the absence of shoes.”

• Footwear habits influence child and adolescent motor skill development – in EurekAlert, AAAS Global source for Science news (July, 2018)

• Motor Skills of Children and Adolescents Are Influenced by Growing up Barefoot or Shod – Original research article by a collaboration of German and South African sports science researchers in Frontiers in Pediatrics (April, 2018)

• 4 Reasons Young Children are Usually Barefoot at Gillispie – by Dr. Mindy Smith, in Gillispie.org (October, 2018) – Explains why pre-school – 6th grade children at Gillispie Independent School in La Jolla, CA are allowed and encouraged to go barefoot at school.

• The Surprising Reason Kids (and Adults!) Should Start Going Barefoot More – Claire Gillespie in The Healthy (August, 2017)

• Shed Those Shoes: Being Barefoot Benefits Brain Development and More! – blog entry by Rae Pica (Sept., 2017)

• Five Ways Going Barefoot Benefits Kids – blog entry by “Anna” in Modern Alternative Mama (April, 2017)

• One way to improve classroom performance?  Remove kid’s shoes – By Derek Staahl, article and video (Feb., 2017) [Note: Link no longer works.  Click here to see archive.]

• 5 Reasons to Let Your Children Go Barefoot – Kathleen Quiring (2017)

• Let Your Kids Grow Healthy Going Barefoot – Little Botanics (2017)  NOTE: Original link broken.  See article here

• Why Your Kids Should Go Barefoot – Calah Alexander (2017)
• Should Kids Be Barefoot in the Summer? – by Letise Dennis in Learning Lift Off  (August, 2016)

• Why and How to Let Your Kids Go Barefoot (Safely) – by Amanda Elder in Lies About Parenting (May, 2016)

• Let them Go Barefoot and 6 Other ‘Rules’ for Play – by Christie Burnett in Childhood 101 (~April, 2016)

• Shoeless Learning Places – Summary of Dr. Heppell’s research described in this article: “Schoolchildren with no shoes on ‘do better and behave better in the classroom’, research shows” in The Telegraph (May, 2016)

• The Importance of Bare Feet – article in blog by Maggie Dent (Sept. 2015)

• Ticking Time Bomb: Children’s Shoes Cause Health Problems Later In Life For Adults – By Dr. Phil Maffetone (April, 2015)

• Kids Explain Why They Go Barefoot – by Laura Blodgett in Daily Provisions (June, 2014)

• A Bare Foot Blog – article in the blog, Creative and Inspired Play, by an Australian Early Years Educator (Aug. 2011)

• Why Barefoot Is Best for Children – The Guardian article (2010)

• Children’s Footwear: Launching Site for Adult Foot Ills–It’s time to advocate shoelessness for kids – by Dr. William Rossi, DVM, Oct., 2002 (A comprehensive review of the subject by a respected expert, in the Podiatry Management journal)

• Why and How to Let Your Kids Go Barefoot (Safely) – By Ashley Trexler, a mother who writes a blog called Lies About Parenting (date not listed)

• Barefooting – article in JoelVM by Joel Vander Molen, a barefooter who advocates for barefoot acceptance, especially for children (date not listed)

WEBSITES & SOCIAL MEDIA

• Parents of Barefoot Children – Parents promoting healthy barefoot information and activities for children (excellent website on the topic by an SBL member, but not recently updated)

• Barefoot Childhood – Facebook page about remembering a simple, more innocent time when children had a carefree way

• Barefooting – Website by SBL member Joel VM, providing support for children (and adults!) to go barefoot

CHILDREN’S CAMPS

• Night Eagle Wilderness Adventures – A “primitive” summer camp for boys in Vermont.  Quote from website: “Although most camps require their campers to wear shoes during the summer, Night Eagle campers choose to “lose their shoes” while they are at camp and try to get closer to the earth by going barefoot. Campers feel that going barefoot gives them a deeper, more respectful relationship with Nature and, from an environmental point of view, lessens the impact they have on the earth…. (Updated 2021)
  
• Roots Camp – This camp for children, in Austria, encourages going barefoot as part of appreciating the outdoor experience.  (Updated 2021)