Barefoot Kids

Tikki Barefoot Kids Shoes

My first order from Tikki Shoes arrived this week. I’ve heard great things about their adult shoes and I really wanted to try their kids shoes. They are made in Romania, but even with the Euro exchange rate and shipping, they’re reasonably priced. So I went ahead and ordered a pair each for Alesi (4yo) and Ana (2yo). These are their Barefoot Shoes (they also have Barefoot Sandals, Barefoot Boots, and Soft Soled Shoes). They are made with Italian leather and have 3mm rubber soles.

Barefoot Qualities

These shoes check all the boxes for barefoot shoes. The soles are thin and flexible. The toe box is wide and foot-shaped. They’re zero drop. The Velcro strap around the ankle should hold them securely so the foot doesn’t slide around inside the shoe. Though I have some concerns about this which I’ll discuss later.

Sizing

Tikki recommends picking a size that’s 0.7-1cm longer than your child’s foot. Alesi’s foot measured 17.5 cm and Ana’s foot measures 17.2 cm. So I ordered them both size 29, which according to their size chart, is 18.3 cm. They ended up being quite a bit longer than I was expecting. I almost returned Ana’s. She could have easily gone a size smaller. But it is almost fall here and I want them to have room for wool socks when it gets cold. And of course a little extra for growing. So decided to keep them. You can see how much extra length there is in the heel when Anas foot slides all the way forward.

Looks

I let the kids pick which colors they wanted. Alesi chose the white ones with hearts. Ana chose the pink ones with butterflies. Of course they ended trading halfway through their first day wearing them. I have to say they are so cute! I love how the Velcro on the strap is kinda hidden, so it doesn’t really look like Velcro. The seams are turned out, which looked strange to me at first. I assume that’s to make them more comfortable. Though it seems to make it a bit harder to get a snug fit, especially at the heel. With the seams turned out, the shoes don’t really wrap around the feet like a moccasin-style would. Barefoot shoes should have plenty of space for toes to wiggle. But they should also fit snuggly around the rest of the foot. If the foot slides around inside the shoe, she’ll have to grip the shoes with her toes as she walks. Which will prevent her from walking with a natural gait. Again, I think some nice wool socks would probably help with getting a snug fit in the heel.

Performance

The first day Alesi wore these to school, she came home and said they hurt her feet. Of course this worried me. Because I can’t return them after they’ve been worn. But, she hasn’t worn “real shoes” much all summer. So maybe her feet just need to get used to these. She hasn’t complained at all since that first day, so I think that’s all it was.

Now what really worries me is this warning on Tikki’s website:

The outdoor footwear is not impermeable and so we recommend its use with dry weather. The sole and sides of the outdoor footwear must not come in contact with water, snow, sand, gravel, solvents, tar, soft bitumen or other corrosive materials. Avoid getting caught or stepping on sharp metal objects, stones, glass shards, oils, fuel, and thinners. The warranty does not cover damage resulting from poor roads, footpaths or pavements, or from using the footwear on other rough, abrasive or corrosive surfaces.

Now doesn’t this sound completely unreasonable for a kid’s shoe?!? How can anyone possibly walk outside without coming into contact with stones, water, gravel, poor roads, etc? I have to assume that Tikki says this for legal reasons that have to do with their warranty. Otherwise, who would ever buy such delicate children’s shoes?

Well of course my kids immediately put their Tikkis to the test by finding the biggest puddle to play in.

Of course these are not waterproof and the kids’ feet were soaked. As with any leather, I let them dry slowly indoors at room temperature to avoid cracking. So far they’re holding up well, but we’ve only had them a few days. I’ll update this post in a few weeks to let you know how they’re doing after more adventures.

Merrell Kids’ Bare Access Sneaker

When I saw the price of these on Amazon ($29.95!) and that they come in wide width, I had to try them for Alesi. Though she doesn’t have very wide feet, I got the wide width version to make sure she had enough wiggle room in her toes. They’re advertised as having a “0mm drop for barefoot feel.” Here’s what I think so far.

Alesi was so excited to get her first pair of shoes with laces! They’re nice and wide giving her toes plenty of room to splay and wiggle. As advertised, they are zero drop. But I would never call these “barefoot” shoes. The sole is very thick so there is no ground feel at all. True barefoot shoes allow your feet to feel the ground through the soles of your shows.

Flexibility

As you can see, I can bend the sole in half. So it is flexible. But I can’t actually roll it up into a ball. It really only flexes from the middle up to the toes. The heel is very stiff.

My Thoughts

I quickly decided that I was way too ambitious in thinking that I could teach my 4 year old how to tie her shoes. I don’t even know where to start! So I ended up tying and retying them for her all day. Every time she came to me to retie them, I noticed the tongue had slipped down. She didn’t complain about it, but I imagine they get uncomfortable like that. I’m not sure why they’re doing that.

Overall, I’m a bit disappointed. If the sole was thinner, they would be the perfect gym shoe and first shoe with laces for my preschooler. But I’m keeping them because Alesi is so exited about them that it would break her heart if I returned them.

Rain Boots

Minimal rain boots for kids are a challenge to find. Especially if you want them to actually be waterproof. I’ve seen MyMayu boots recommended by some, but I’ve also seen some negative reviews. Many people have said they are not actually waterproof. At about $60 each, I’m not sure I’m ready to take the risk. So instead I’ve been searching for a cheaper option. Here’s what I’ve found so far.

LONECONE

I bought these on Amazon for $19.99. My kids have been really into rocket ships and outer space lately. So the design caught my eye. They have lots of other cute patterns too. They are definitely a compromise. As you can see, the heel is slightly raised. So they are not “zero-drop.” However, they tick most of the other boxes for minimalist shoes.

Flexible soles that aren’t too thick are a must for me. As always, I removed the insert they came with so they’d be more flexible and roomier.

The toe box is surprisingly wide. When they came in the mail and Ana opened the package, she immediately put them on and refused to take them off. I just wish that heel wasn’t raised and the sole was thinner. But, they’re really not that bad. Since they’re only going to wear them in the rain, I’m willing to compromise a bit when it comes to rain boots.

Crocs

These are NOT minimalist at all. Alesi has sores on her feet after wearing them. They are very very stiff with thick soles. I do not recommend them at all.

This is me trying as hard as I can to bend the sole. It wouldn’t budge.

Conclusion

Sometimes you can get lucky and find cheap shoes that happen to be minimalist or close to it. Just look for:

a wide toe box, shoes should be feet-shaped
zero-drop (toe and heel are the same height)
flexible soles
no molding (no “arch support” or heel cupping)
and ground feel

For everyday use, I want my kids’ shoes to meet all of these criteria. But for boots that will only be worn in the rain, I’m willing to compromise a little as long as they are close to minimalist.

When you know better, you do better

I’ve been fully committed to barefoot and minimalist shoes for my kids for a few months now. Today I finally went through the big bag full of shoes that I’ve been saving. Having 3 girls, there are always so many shoes and clothes to pass down to younger siblings. I decided to go through the whole bag and get rid of any that didn’t meet my standards for minimalist or barefoot shoes.

Of course most had to go. I did save all of the snow boots. Because they were so expensive and I could probably make a little money if I sell them. Also, minimalist snow boots for kids seem to be hard to find. So I may need to compromise.

I was surprised to find a few pairs of shoes that I felt comfortable saving.

Generic Boot

These cute black boots are zero drop and have a really flexible sole. I took out the inserts and the toe box seems fairly wide. I’m pretty sure my mom bought these at the grocery store for Alesi last winter. Win!

TOMS

These TOMS are adorable, but they had to go. I felt a bit guilty because they were a gift. But I can’t see myself putting them on Natha when she gets to this size.

I tried pretty hard, but this was as far as I could bend them. So the sole is not very flexible at all.

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The sole is also very thick. So these are far from minimal or barefoot shoes.

Stride Rite Bristol

I didn’t have the heart to get rid of these adorable tiny sneakers. These were my first baby’s first shoes. They are Stride Rite Bristols and she got them for her first birthday. I bought a lot of Stride Rite shoes because I thought they were the best. That’s what everyone told me. And they had several stores nearby so I could get my kids’ feet measured by “professionals.” But after checking all of them, most of my Stride Rite stash did not meet my criteria for minimal or barefoot shoes. However, these baby sneakers weren’t too bad. After I took the insole out, they were very flexible and zero drop.

Though the soles were fairly thin for conventional shoes, I still would prefer an even thinner sole for babies just learning to walk. It’s important for them to be able to feel the ground with their tiny little toes. Still, I kept these shoes mostly for sentimental reasons.

Conclusion

All the shoes that didn’t meet my standards were bagged up and will be dropped off at a local charity. I feel much better now that they’re gone. And I have a bit more space in the closet too.

Good thing they’re used to going barefoot

I had to unexpectedly leave work tonight to pick up my oldest two daughters at the farmer’s market. Meki had walked to the market with all 3 girls and the double stroller. After their shopping, they were playing on the playground when our youngest had a seizure. Luckily a friend was at the playground too and offered to stay with the Alesi and Ana while Meki took Natha to the Emergency Room (she was okay). Of course I left work right away and drove to the farmer’s market to pick up the other 2 kids so we could all go the hospital.

When I got to the market, of course my kids were playing barefoot. Alesi quickly told me that they “forgot” their shoes at home. So I took them to the hospital barefoot. They had no problem walking through the parking garage barefoot. We got a couple questions in the Emergency Room about their shoes, but nobody seemed too concerned. I’m sure they’ve seen stranger things.

Hiking with our Little Punk Bunnies

I love family hikes! We don’t get to go hiking as often as I would like because I work during the week and Meki usually works on the weekends. But today we made it happen! We picked a nice 1.25 mike trail with lots of creek crossings and little waterfalls.

The big girls chose to wear their favorite shoes of course. Their Little Punk Bunny janes. These are handmade from interlock wool. I always choose to get Toughtek soles because they’re thin, water proof, and machine washable. You can order suede soles as well. I love wool shoes because they’re, soft, breathable, and stretchy. So there’s always room for little toes to spread out.

I was a bit worried about how the girls would do hiking with such minimalist shoes. But they did great! Alesi did say several times that she could feel the rocks under her feet. She didn’t say that the rocks hurt her feet, just that she could feel them. How wonderful is that for these kids to be able to feel the rocks, soil, sand, and leaves through the soles of their shoes? Going barefoot or wearing minimalist shoes improves kids’ proprioception. I think it also encourages their curiosity and inquisitiveness. What’s in that rock I just stepped on? Fossils!

My biggest adventurer got a little booboo 😦

Ana LOVES getting dirty. Mud, dirt, and water are like magnets that attract her. Thank goodness these shoes are machine washable. Look how well they cleaned up!