Why are barefoot shoes or walking barefoot healthy?
Walking barefoot prevents foot defects and trains the muscles that can act as shock absorbers for the spine. It improves the entire posture and the joints are protected.
It is actually part of the human nature to walk around without shoes. Shoes support the feet, which has the disadvantage that the foot muscles lose strength and the foot is weakened.
Our barefoot shoes do not restrict the foot when walking, as the sole is very thin and the shoes are wide enough to give the foot the necessary space. So you come very close to the feeling of walking barefoot. Still, you can’t walk like you can in any shoe, but the goal is to find a shoe that doesn’t change your natural gait.
What do you have to consider when you buy your first barefoot shoes?
Since these shoes have a very thin sole, your gait has to be adjusted to the shoes – as if you were walking barefoot.
Your feet should hit the ground without a hard bump and this usually slows you down a little. Correct posture and rolling the foot from heel to toe are crucial for correct walking in barefoot shoes.
You shouldn’t lift your foot up too high, because then the foot will touch the heel softly. When you run, you will quickly notice that you are touching down with your forefoot rather than your heel first.For adults, it is important to do some exercise first and take it slow. You can get sore muscles – a lot of training is necessary! In most cases the change is no problem for children.
How do children benefit from barefoot shoes?
Children are still growing and because of that it is important to find the right footwear. Children’s bones are still soft and wrong footwear can change the gait pattern and deform the feet. This can lead to consequential damage such as postural problems or headaches. Children also do not feel whether the shoes fit correctly. Beginners must feel the ground well in order to learn to walk safely. Fixed shoes and thick soles prevent children from learning to walk, as the necessary information about the ground cannot be properly absorbed.
Can you cope with every surface in barefoot shoes?
Since the sole of barefoot shoes is significantly thinner than that of “normal” shoes, the question often arises whether you get cold feet in winter. NO, because barefoot shoes make the foot much more active and therefore better supplied with blood. If you don’t move and it is below zero, then you need shoes with a thicker sole. On uneven surfaces you should watch your step a little more carefully; but it is manageable. After some time, your foot is properly trained and automatically reduces the risk of spraining.
How find the right size?
We have measured every shoe for you so that you have an idea of ??what might fit your child.
How do you determine your child’s foot size?
The easiest way is to draw a stencil!
- Measure in the evening or in the afternoon, as the feet are often much smaller in the morning
- Even better let the children run around without shoes / slippers for at least 30 minutes beforehand so that the toes can relax
- Place the foot on a thin cardboard (the foot must be fully loaded, so stand on it correctly)
- The socks that will be worn in the shoe later should be worn
- Draw a line around the foot at a 90 ° angle with a narrow pen (ballpoint pen, pencil)
- It is best to repeat this with the second foot: often one is longer / wider than the other
- Now you can measure the outline of the foot
- For the instep height, measure around the widest part of the foot with a measuring tape
- Read the size of each shoe from the table on the product page
TIP: With very lively dwarfs who don’t want to keep still, you can trick them by placing them on a bench, armchair or window sill (be careful not to fall off). Out of surprise, they often keep still long enough.
ATTENTION: Shoe sizes are NOT standardized! That means e.g. a size 26 shoe can be 17cm long for one manufacturer and 15cm for another. Often it even varies between models from the same manufacturer!!!!
How do you know the shoe fits right?
Check fit:
- If childrenshoes are bought on growth, 12mm space should be available for beginners and up to 17mm for experienced runners.
- The shoes fit exactly/just still, if min. 6mm roll-off space to the front are available.
- The shoe should not slack, so pay attention to a good grip on the ankle/heel area. If the heel is removed from the sole at every step, the toes are squeezed in the front of the shoe.
- Flexible “sock shoes” can be worn as long as the toes do not need to be tightened/clawed in.
CAUTION: Check children every 4 weeks so that no growth boost is missed.
Variant 1
Measuring device such as http://www.clevermess.de/
Variant 2
Remove the insole, let it step on with full weight, look: Toes relaxed or clawed? Is there still 6mm space to the front? Does the foot also have room to the side and doesn’t hang over the sole? (At most, a little bit justifiable with very flexible leather shoes / sock shoes)
Variant 3
Place your foot fully loaded on a thin cardboard box, draw a pencil around it, cut it out and take the larger of the two footprints and place it in the shoe. Push it through to the toe, then read off the distance to the heel at the back: at 6mm it just fits, 12mm is suitable growth space for beginners, 17mm suitable growth space for safe walkers.
PLEASE DO NOT:
- Press around the front of the shoe – the toes are reflexively drawn in and you feel a lot more space than there is actually available
- just ask “does it fit?” – without measuring! The many small bones in the foot are still very soft and shapeable in children, which is why they can put on shoes that are 2cm shorter than their relaxed foot.
What to do if you are unsure of your size?
It is very important, especially for adults, that the shoe fits correctly. Too much space is counterproductive, as is too little. But if you are not sure, it will still be better to go one size up.
It looks different with children, as child models are often bought with regard to expected growth. When it comes to learning shoes, it makes more sense not to buy too much for growth, as the children then trip more easily.
Please only try out shoes indoors on clean, non-abrasive floors!
Shoes worn outdoors cannot be taken back – they can only be taken back if they are new and clean!