My name is
Jeffrey Silverman and I am the Founder and CEO of
The Preschoolians Company, maker of soft baby shoes for children birth to five years of age and one of
TIME Magazine's Coolest Inventions.
I have been designing and developing baby shoes for over 25 years.
My goal is to educate parents on why barefoot is best, why barefoot is not practical, and what type of baby shoes is best (and why).
Why is Barefoot Best?
Before I site the research that has been done by professionals, I want to touch upon the common sense aspect. Baby shoes are not a natural part of the body and hence are "unnecessary" baggage and get in the way of natural development. As for the research, below you will find quotes from a number of accomplished medical researchers as well as full links to more about each statement:
Sylvia Ounpuu,
M.Sc. - Director/Kinesiologist Center for Motion Analysis
Researchers lead by Sylvia Ounpuu at
Connecticut Children's Medical Center spent months studying the way babies learn to walk. The conclusion, said Sylvia Ounpuu, a movement specialist at the children's medical center who directed the study, is that barefoot is best for babies.
Full text of an article written about Ms. Ounpuu's study.
Dr. David Sutherland
Professor emeritus of orthopedic surgery
University of California at San Diego consultant to the
Motion-Analysis Laboratory at
San Diego Children's Hospital
"I never saw a child walk any better in shoes than they did barefoot," he said. Shoes are "for protection, so you don't step on a nail." Sutherland studied the anatomy of a step in 1978 and published the only book ever written about the process of walking and learning to walk. His research found that heel-toe walking was not universal in 1-year-olds but had developed by the time babies reached 18 months. But whether babies adopt a more mature walking pattern at 12 months or 18 months is immaterial, Sutherland said. Barefoot has always been best in his eyes.
Full text of article written about Dr. Sutherland and why barefoot is best.
The Canadian Pediatric Society: Promoting Child Health and Safety
The Community Pediatrics Committee no longer accepts the old belief that a baby must wear shoes soon after birth. Keeping a baby out of shoes in warm, dry conditions is a good idea because walking barefoot develops good toe gripping and muscular strength. Until toddlers have been walking for at least a few months, the only purpose of footwear is to protect the child's feet and to offer some grip on a smooth surface.
Full text of the opinion of The Canadian Pediatric Society.
Dr. Lynn Staheli, MD
Dr. Staheli is on the Faculty of the
University of Washington Department of Orthopedics in the Pediatric Orthopedics section. In 1992 ... he was listed as Director of Orthopedics at the
Children's Orthopedic Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle
Dr. Lynn T. Staheli, director of orthopedics at Children's Hospital and Medical Center in Seattle, has concluded that the children with the healthiest and most supple feet are those who habitually go barefoot. Dr. Staheli said that in Western nations, children must often wear shoes to protect against snow, broken glass or the occasional stray hypodermic syringe on the sidewalk, among other things. But he said he believes that the more closely a child's shoe resembles the barefoot state, the better.
Full text of article in the New York Times about Dr. Staheli.
Dr. Lowell D. Lutter
Assistant clinical professor at
Gillette Children's Hospital in St. Paul, Minn.
"The bare foot is the ideal position," said Dr. Lowell D. Lutter,
"Children's shoewear has two functions: to protect and to decorate."
Dr. Carol Frey
Associate clinical professor of orthopedic surgery in Manhattan Beach, Calif.
Frey compiled a list of shoe-buying tips for the
American Orthopedic Foot and Ankle Society
We don't need shoes for proper foot development," explains Frey. Walking is a collaborative effort requiring constant communication between the brain and feet. Nerve endings on the bottom of the feet sense the ground beneath and send signals to the brain that help it determine how and where weight should be distributed with each new step. Shoes alter that feedback to the brain. The thicker the sole, the more muffled the message. "Shoes are not necessary for support or development of the arch, they only protect the feet from the environment," said Fry, who routinely treats foot deformities caused by ill-fitting shoes. Babies and crawlers need only wear socks or booties to keep their feet warm, she said. Toddlers, too, should be allowed to go sans shoes whenever they are in a protected environment. Going barefoot helps children develop stronger and more coordinated foot muscles, Frey explained. Studies also show that barefoot children learn to walk more quickly and have fewer falls.
Full text of Dr. Frey?s opinion.
Why is Barefoot Not Practical?
Even the strongest supporters of the advantages of keeping a baby barefoot agree that in certain conditions protection from the elements is needed. Almost for the same reasons that the majority of adults would not consider going barefoot, the same reasons exist for babies. It is dangerous for babies to step on sharp objects like glass, nails, rocks, tree roots, small toys and uncomfortable for babies to walk on hot surfaces, cold surfaces or wet surfaces. This is why baby shoes must resemble being barefoot but offer protection to the elements described above.
What Type of Baby Shoe is Best and Why?
All of the research (and common sense) indicates that the best baby shoes will protect the foot from the elements and this is all. Preschoolians believes that the baby shoes should be invisible to the mind of the baby. Prior to standing pulling up begins, some parents like to put baby shoes on their baby for decoration, warmth and in some cases to keep their baby's socks to stay on. Baby shoes like Our
Look Who's Crawling that have suede bottoms are great for babies who are not yet standing or pulling up. Suede bottoms do not offer protection from the elements and will not hold up outside.
Once a child begins to stand and/ or pull up cruising is merely around the corner. While a suede bottom is fine for standing, pulling up or cruising inside, once a child begins to stand, pull up or cruise outside the best baby shoe is one with the thinnest rubber bottom possible. Our
I'm Walking Barefoot baby shoes are the only of their kind in the world. They are
slippers with a very thin bottom. I'm Walking Barefoot baby shoes will protect the feet from the elements but are invisible to the child. As a matter of fact we offer the only
100% Satisfaction guarantee among all makers of baby shoes: If you are not 100% satisfied with the fit or wear of our baby shoes, we will give you a new, complimentary pair or a full refund with a smile on our face.
