The topic of walking barefoot has intrigued me for at least 9-10 years.
In my family, I was often told that "hallux valgus" (a bone deformity at the big toe) is hereditary, and I experienced recurring foot pain after long walks.
Naturally, I wanted to dive deeper.
Is this deformity truly genetic?
Or is it possible that all my relatives simply made the same "mistakes" with their feet?
As a child, I was also diagnosed with flat feet, splayfoot, and fallen arches. Like many in Germany, I was given clunky insoles that were supposed to "solve" the problem by immobilizing my feet even more.
Now, I can only shake my head at that.
Why? You’ll find out later in this post.
But first, here are some statistics on foot health in children and adults:
Age Group | Foot Health (%) |
Babies (0-1 year) | 100% |
Toddlers (1-3 years) | 95% |
Children (4-12 years) | 80% |
Teenagers (13-18 years) | 65% |
Adults (18+ years) | 50% |
How can it be that we’re born with 100% healthy feet, but by adulthood, only 50% of our foot health remains?
Something clearly goes wrong along the way, and I’ll tell you what it is:
Shoes!
While we are an evolved species, our bodies are essentially animals.
Have you ever seen a giraffe, elephant, or cat wearing shoes outside?
I haven't!
Our bodies are incredible, just as they are, and we don’t actually need shoes!
If you’ve been barefoot for a while or know kids who go barefoot a lot, you may have noticed that our feet develop a natural protective layer, almost like a sole.
We walk barefoot everywhere: In the city, at the supermarket, in the forest, and even over glass shards!
The biggest objection I hear from adults is about stepping on glass and cutting their feet.
All I can say to that is: "Complete nonsense."
As I mentioned, our feet form a protective layer, and second, there aren’t nearly as many shards on the streets as people claim.
Even if there are, we often walk over them without issues.
What you should be more concerned about are thorns. Over the years, I’ve pulled out far more thorns than glass from my daughter’s feet, my partner's, or my own.
But it's not a big deal! A pair of tweezers or a needle, and two minutes later, the thorn is out.
The most uncomfortable thorns we’ve encountered were from cacti—tiny and barely visible. But in 7 years, that only happened to my daughter once.
Here are 5 key benefits of barefoot walking for you and your child:
Strengthens foot muscles – Encourages natural development and muscle growth.
Improves balance – Supports balance through direct ground contact.
Promotes healthy posture – Reduces bad posture by improving foot alignment.
Stimulates circulation – Walking barefoot boosts blood flow.
Enhances sensory perception – Feet become more attuned to different surfaces.
Now, you might be thinking, "I don’t want to walk barefoot everywhere!"
Shoes can feel like a status symbol, and like us, maybe you don’t always want to deal with people commenting on your "bare feet."
In this case, barefoot or minimalist shoes can be a great solution for you and your family.
These shoes have flexible soles and wide toe boxes to give your feet and your child’s feet plenty of space.
Over the last 9-10 years, this market has expanded tremendously, and I’ve had the chance to test several brands.
The quality varies a lot between manufacturers!
My personal favorites remain the "Wildling Shoes" from the brand Wildlinge.
They are the most comfortable shoes I know with the thinnest soles!
Plus, the brand produces its shoes sustainably in Portugal in small batches.
Yes, they may cost a bit more than discount store shoes, but I believe that the health of our feet is worth the investment—we walk on them all our lives. Additionally, you can often resell kids' Wildlings at a good price when they outgrow them.
In the end, you don’t actually spend more!
But why don't insoles or orthopedic shoes help?
Because they immobilize your foot.
The real problem, however, is the lack of muscle in your foot.
That’s why I had flat feet, splayfoot, and fallen arches as a child.
Regular shoes are simply too rigid, have too little space at the front, and are often too tight. This causes the muscles to weaken more and more, and the foot continues to deform! And we all know how muscles grow—by using them.
So my solution wasn’t immobilization and more issues as I got older, but rather strengthening the muscles!
How?
By walking more and more barefoot or in barefoot shoes!
At first, you feel the adjustment a bit (hello muscle soreness), but over time, the muscles naturally develop, and your foot becomes stronger!
Since switching to barefoot walking and doing some toe-strengthening exercises early on, I no longer experience any foot pain, even after walking 10 or 20 kilometers in Marrakech City ;-) Read more about this journey on my boyfriend's travel blog.
Mydaughter has the healthiest feet I’ve ever seen, even at almost 8 years old!
They are wide and strong!
That supposedly inherited "hallux valgus" is nowhere in sight!
Her big toe is muscular and naturally spaced to provide maximum stability.
She goes barefoot well into autumn and only switches to light barefoot shoes in the winter because her feet are always warm due to increased muscle activity, and thicker shoes make her feet sweat.
Give it a try for yourself and your family!
I’m sure you’ll soon notice positive changes in your feet.
Feel free to share your experiences with me in our Telegram group.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Yours,
Lisa
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