Barefoot vs. Socks for Kids: What a Foot-Development Researcher Wants Parents to Know

Table of Contents

• Key Points
• Why This Question Matters
• Meet the Expert: Dr. Karsten Hollander
• What Research Shows About Growing Up Barefoot
• The Real Culprits: Thick, Stiff, and Narrow Shoes
• Can Socks or Minimalist Shoes Preserve the Benefits?
• Do Cold Feet Really Cause Colds?
• Real-World Experience: A Father of Two Kindergarteners
• A Cultural Note: Shoes Required in Many German Kindergartens
• Limitations of the Evidence
• Practical Recommendations for Parents
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Source Information

Key Points

• Growing up barefoot benefits foot arch development and motor skills, according to research on habitually barefoot children.
• Thick, stiff, and narrow shoes are the main problem; flexible, flat, uncushioned shoes with wide toe boxes are recommended.
• Thin socks or minimalist shoes can preserve barefoot benefits while keeping feet warm.
• Evidence that cold feet cause colds is scarce; one preliminary adult study found a possible link, not proof for children.
• Frequent colds in young children are normal, especially in early daycare years, and not related to footwear choice.

Why This Question Matters

If you have a young child, you have probably asked yourself: Should my child walk barefoot at daycare or kindergarten, or should they keep socks on? It is a surprisingly important question, because the first years of life are a critical window for foot development. The bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons in a child's foot are still forming, and the way those feet are loaded—the forces and pressures placed on them through standing, walking, running, and jumping—can influence adult foot health for decades.

Many parents have also been told that "cold feet can give you a cold" and worry about their child padding around barefoot on chilly floors. This raises two separate questions that are easy to confuse:

1. Does barefoot walking help or harm foot development?
2. Does having cold feet increase the risk of catching a cold?

Fortunately, a researcher who has dedicated his PhD to studying these very topics answered both questions in a direct, practical way.

Meet the Expert: Dr. Karsten Hollander

Dr. Karsten Hollander is a sports medicine researcher based at the Medical School Hamburg (MSH) in Germany, and he was writing from Oslo when he responded to this question. His credentials matter here: he completed his PhD studying habitual barefoot children—children who grow up wearing shoes only rarely or never—and he has published multiple scientific papers comparing the long-term effects of barefoot living versus regular shoe use on various physical outcomes.

Importantly, he is also a parent himself. He notes that he has two children of kindergarten age, so he brings both scientific expertise and lived experience to this topic. His response references several scientific papers, including his own work from 2017 and 2018, a 2021 study by Davis and colleagues, and a 2006 study by Johnson and Eccles on foot cooling and colds.

What Research Shows About Growing Up Barefoot

Dr. Hollander's PhD research focused on children who habitually go barefoot, comparing them to children who wear conventional shoes. His findings, in short, were positive for the barefoot group.

He states it directly: "Growing up barefoot was beneficial for several foot mechanical outcomes—especially for foot arch development." This means children who spent their early years walking barefoot tended to develop stronger, better-formed foot arches than children who grew up in shoes. The arch is the flexible, spring-like structure of the midfoot that absorbs shock and provides stability. A well-developed arch is associated with better foot function and fewer foot problems later in life.

Beyond the arch, the benefits extended to movement and coordination:

• Some motor performance skills (such as balance, jumping, and coordination)
• Overall foot mechanical outcomes including how the foot moves, bends, and absorbs impact during walking and running

In other words, the barefoot children developed better in these areas than their shoe-wearing peers. The attached 2017 and 2018 papers from Dr. Hollander's group support these conclusions, with titles indicating long-term studies of children growing up without shoes.

So, when a kindergarten recommends barefoot or sock-footed play, parents can be reassured. Dr. Hollander explicitly says the kindergarten "should be commended for their recommendation." The science backs them up.

The Real Culprits: Thick, Stiff, and Narrow Shoes

If barefoot is good and shoes are the comparison, are all shoes equally bad? Dr. Hollander does not think so. He makes an important distinction: it is not shoes in general that interfere with foot development, but specifically thick, cushioned, stiff shoes—and especially shoes that are too narrow.

Here is why these features matter:

• Thick cushioning absorbs the natural sensory feedback from the ground. A child's foot uses the feel of the floor to make tiny, constant adjustments in balance and posture. When cushioning is excessive, those signals are dulled, and the foot muscles and nerves may not develop as robustly.
• Stiff soles restrict the natural bending, twisting, and flexing of the foot. This limits the range of motion and reduces the work the small foot muscles must do, potentially weakening them over time.
• Narrow shoes squeeze the toes together. A child's toes need room to splay and spread out for balance and propulsion. Narrow footwear compresses the forefoot, which can contribute to deformities and misalignment over time.

In contrast, footwear that is flexible, roomy, and thin may allow the foot to function almost as if barefoot, while adding a small protective layer.

Can Socks or Minimalist Shoes Preserve the Benefits?

Parents often wonder whether walking socks undermine the barefoot advantage. According to Dr. Hollander, they do not need to worry. He writes that minimalist shoes or walking socks "may not inhibit this development"—meaning the healthy arch and motor skill benefits seen in barefoot children can still be achieved with minimal footwear.

The key concept here is mechanical loading. This is the scientific term for the forces that the foot experiences during everyday movement—the pushes, pulls, stretches, and pressures that tell the growing foot how to strengthen and adapt. Dr. Hollander explains that this mechanical loading is "well-mimicked" in minimalist shoes and walking socks, citing a 2021 study by Davis and colleagues that supports this idea.

In plain terms: a thin sock or minimalist shoe still allows the foot to bend, splay, and feel the ground almost like barefoot. The foot receives similar healthy stimulation, just with a thin layer of fabric or rubber in between.

What counts as "minimalist"? Dr. Hollander offers a practical definition:

• Flexible—the sole can be bent and twisted easily
• No cushioning—thin, flat sole so the foot feels the floor
• No offset (also called "zero-drop")—the heel and forefoot are at the same height, so the foot remains flat, just as it would be barefoot
• Wide toe box—enough room for toes to spread naturally

Do Cold Feet Really Cause Colds?

Now for the second question: can cold feet make your child sick? This is a widespread belief, but what does the evidence say?

Dr. Hollander is transparent here. He notes that his research team never studied the effect of habitual barefoot living on illnesses like colds. So there is no direct data from his group on this point.

He then addresses the folk belief directly, calling it an "assumption (folklore?)" that cold feet may lead to a cold. He notes it sounds plausible, but he is quick to add that many reasons can lead to a cold—viral exposure, seasonality, and immune status, to name a few.

There is, however, one relevant study: a preliminary study by Johnson and Eccles (2006) that looked at adults. In that study, participants whose feet were cooled (by sitting with cold feet) were found to be more likely to develop a cold in the following days compared with a control group. The study is often cited as evidence supporting the old saying—but Dr. Hollander cautions that, in his assessment, "the evidence is pretty scarce."

He explains his reasoning: a single preliminary study in adults does not prove a strong cause-and-effect relationship for children. Colds are extremely common in young children for many reasons, especially because their immune systems are still learning to recognize viruses and because they spend their days in close contact with other children who are coughing, sneezing, and touching shared toys.

In short: while the cold-feet-and-colds idea is not completely without scientific support, the data are thin, and parents should not feel guilty or alarmed about their child having slightly cool feet.

Real-World Experience: A Father of Two Kindergarteners

Dr. Hollander does not just cite the science—he offers a personal perspective that many parents will find comforting. He observes that, as the father of two kindergarten-age children himself, "it is probably normal that they are always sick, especially in the first years."

This is a reassuring point for parents who feel like their child is constantly battling a runny nose or sore throat. The frequent illnesses of early childhood are a normal part of immune system development, regardless of whether a child goes barefoot or wears socks indoors. Young children typically experience six to eight respiratory infections per year in their first few years of childcare, and this has more to do with viral exposure and immunity than with the temperature of their feet.

A Cultural Note: Shoes Required in Many German Kindergartens

Dr. Hollander closes with an ironic observation about his home country: "In Germany, it is obligatory in many Kindergartens to wear shoes." Despite the evidence supporting barefoot activity, many German early-childhood centers require shoes for safety, hygiene, or organizational reasons.

This highlights a real-world tension between evidence and policy. Wearing shoes is often mandated as a safe default, but the research suggests that a sock-footed or barefoot policy may be more beneficial for foot development. If a kindergarten or school requires indoor shoes, parents can look for minimalist, flexible, wide-fit options that come as close to barefoot as possible within those rules.

Limitations of the Evidence

It is important for parents to understand what this research can and cannot prove. Dr. Hollander's response, while informed by his PhD work, is an expert opinion email rather than a new peer-reviewed study. The evidence he cites has specific limitations:

• Observational design: Studies comparing barefoot-raised children to shoe-wearing children are generally observational, meaning there may be other differences between the groups (lifestyle, culture, geography) that contribute to the outcomes.
• No illness data: His research team did not measure the effect of barefoot living on colds or infections, so conclusions on that subject can only come from other preliminary work.
• Scarce cold-feet evidence: The Johnson and Eccles (2006) study was preliminary and conducted only in adults, so its findings may not directly apply to children.
• Not every child is the same: Children with specific medical conditions, foot deformities, or developmental delays may need individualized advice from a pediatrician or orthopedic specialist.

Dr. Hollander himself is appropriately humble about the strength of the evidence, using words like "scarce," "not convincing," and "probably" when discussing the cold and footwear questions. Honest uncertainty is a feature of good science, and parents can take comfort that the overall direction of the evidence—favoring barefoot-like conditions for foot development—is consistent across the studies he cites.

Practical Recommendations for Parents

Based on Dr. Hollander's research and advice, here is a practical summary for parents navigating the barefoot-versus-socks decision:

1. Let kids go barefoot when it is safe and reasonable. The evidence supports barefoot activity for foot arch development and motor skill development. Indoors, on grass, on sand, or on safe play surfaces, barefoot is the gold standard.
2. Choose minimalist footwear when shoes are required. Look for shoes that are flexible, flat (zero-drop), uncushioned, and roomy in the toe box. Walking socks and anti-slippery socks (socks with grippy soles) are an excellent choice for indoor use.
3. Avoid thick, stiff, and narrow shoes. These are the features that most likely interfere with healthy foot development, not the mere act of wearing a shoe.
4. Do not stress about cold feet. While one preliminary study in adults suggested a possible link between cold feet and colds, the overall evidence is scarce. Keeping kids warm in winter with socks is reasonable for comfort, but cool feet alone are not a major cause for concern.
5. Expect frequent colds in early childhood. This is normal, especially in the first years of daycare or kindergarten, and is not a sign of failure on your part or a reason to change footwear strategy.
6. Work with kindergarten policies. If your child's program requires indoor shoes, bring this article to the teachers' attention and ask about minimalist options. Many schools are open to adjusting policies when presented with evidence.
7. When in doubt, ask a specialist. For children with known foot conditions or concerns, a pediatrician or pediatric orthopedic specialist can provide individualized guidance.

The scientifically supported takeaway is reassuring: you do not have to choose between your child's foot health and their comfort in winter. Thin, flexible socks or minimalist shoes offer a "fair trade-off," in Dr. Hollander's words—preserving the motor development advantages of barefoot living while keeping little feet warm.

Frequently Asked Questions

Should my child walk barefoot or wear socks indoors?

Research on habitually barefoot children shows barefoot walking benefits arch development and motor skills like balance and coordination. Socks or minimalist shoes, if flexible, flat, uncushioned, and roomy in the toe box, can preserve these benefits while keeping feet warm. So barefoot is ideal, but thin socks are a fair compromise.

Does growing up barefoot really improve foot development?

Yes. Studies comparing children who grow up habitually barefoot with children in conventional shoes found benefits for foot arch development, foot mechanics, and motor skills such as balance and jumping. The researcher's PhD work and other studies support this, though these were observational studies, so other factors may also contribute.

What kind of shoes are harmful for a child's foot development?

Thick, stiff, and narrow shoes are the main concern. Thick cushioning dulls ground sensation, stiff soles restrict natural foot movement, and narrow shoes squeeze toes together. These features can interfere with developing strong arches and healthy foot function. Flexible, flat, uncushioned shoes with a wide toe box are better choices.

Can socks or minimalist shoes still give the same benefits as barefoot?

Yes, according to the researcher. Minimalist shoes or walking socks allow the foot to bend, splay, and feel the ground much like barefoot. A 2021 study found mechanical loading is well-mimicked in these types of footwear. So a thin sock or minimalist shoe can preserve healthy foot development while adding a protective layer.

Do cold feet cause colds in children?

The evidence is scarce. One preliminary 2006 study in adults found that those with cooled feet were more likely to develop a cold, but this does not prove a cause-and-effect for children. Colds in young children are common due to viral exposure and developing immunity, not foot temperature. Keeping kids warm for comfort is reasonable, but cool feet alone are not a major concern.

Is it normal for my child to get sick often in kindergarten or daycare?

Yes, it is probably normal, especially in the first years. The researcher, a father of two kindergarten-age children, notes that frequent illnesses are typical as children's immune systems learn to recognize viruses. Young children commonly have multiple respiratory infections per year, and this is unrelated to whether they go barefoot or wear socks indoors.

What should I look for when buying minimalist shoes for my child?

Look for shoes that are flexible, so the sole can be bent and twisted easily; have no cushioning, with a thin, flat sole; are zero-drop, meaning heel and forefoot at the same height; and have a wide toe box so toes can spread naturally. These features mimic barefoot conditions while protecting the feet.

When should a parent seek a second opinion about barefoot vs sock recommendations for a child with a foot condition or developmental delay?

Most children can benefit from barefoot or thin, flexible sock wear, but a second opinion is worth seeking when a child has a known foot deformity, developmental delay, or other foot-related medical condition. In such cases, a pediatrician or pediatric orthopedic specialist can give individualized guidance on whether barefoot policies or minimalist footwear are appropriate. A second opinion can confirm the recommendation or suggest alternative footwear. Diagnostic Detectives Network provides independent expert second opinions.

Source Information

This patient-friendly article is based on an expert email response by Dr. Karsten Hollander, a sports medicine researcher at the Medical School Hamburg (MSH), Germany. The original email was addressed to Anton Titov, MD, PhD of Diagnostic Detectives, dated March 9, 2024.

The response draws on several scientific references cited in the original email, including:

• Hollander K. (2017 and 2018) — PhD research papers on long-term effects of barefoot vs. shoe use in habitually barefoot children, covering foot arch development and motor performance.
• Davis et al. (2021) — Study on mechanical loading patterns in minimalist shoes and socks showing they closely mimic barefoot conditions.
• Johnson & Eccles (2006) — Preliminary study on acute cooling of the feet and the occurrence of colds in adults.

Note: This patient-friendly article is based on peer-reviewed research as summarized by the expert. It is provided for educational purposes and is not a substitute for personalized medical advice.