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In a paper published in the August 1959 issue of Journal of Military Medicine, Dr. Thomas Hale Jr. and I quote fifty of our leading authorities on foot disease, all of whom have different, and often opposing, ideas as to cause and prevention of foot trouble. Authorities acknowledge that causes are not established, and yet physicians, pediatricians, and foot specialists must refer to these authorities. If what to do about foot disease is confusing for a doctor, how much more confusing it must be for a nonprofessional Nevertheless, there is one thing which is certain about our commonplace foot trouble-it is one hundred per cent preventable. We will show you how to go about it with sensible, practical, and conservative techniques that will be supported by your doctor.
Preventing Foot Troubles of the Pre-walking Infant
You who are parents have probably noticed your child constantly spreading, bending, stretching his fingers and toes from the first weeks of life.

You would not think of keeping your baby from moving his hands and wiggling his fingers. You would not swaddle his hands and fingers. Why, then, swaddle his feet and toes?

Tight blankets which keep feet and toes motionless serve only to weaken them. Place the blanket over the baby's feet loosely. Raised supports at the foot of the crib can be used so the blanket can be elevated over the feet, allowing plenty of room for movement. Toes which are not given opportunity for exercise in the very early years are likely never to develop properly - nor can any later treatment ever fully restore their proper functioning. Unfortunately, most American parents damage their infants' toes and feet in the first weeks of life by depriving the child of the chance to move his feet freely. By keeping anything tight or constricting off your baby's feet, you will have already started him on the way to foot health.
No Pre-walking Shoes
Do not buy pre-walking shoes for your baby. They may look pretty and soft, but they can seriously impede the natural movements of the infant's foot. Whenever you see a bronzed pair of baby shoes, know that it is a symbol of damage to some baby's foot. In warm weather, the baby should play barefooted in a play pen. When he starts to creep and crawl on the carpeted floors, he should be allowed to crawl barefooted.

Going Barefoot Is a "Must" for Young Children
It is not enough that children's feet be free from deforming shoes-foot health also depends upon going barefoot in order to develop agility and strength in the feet. . . . For toddlers, shoes should be worn outdoors only during inclement weather and indoors only for infrequent dress-up occasions.
Fortunately, children can go barefoot most frequently in life during the first five years, while they do not yet attend school. These years are the most important in foot development. Children under five who go barefoot, if watched closely by their parents, are unlikely to walk where they will cut their feet or do themselves harm. Moreover, if they go barefoot frequently, they will soon develop tough, protective skin on the bottom of their feet. Skin thus developed is soft and has no callus but will give much protection. You have read accounts in the newspapers of international track stars winning races over cinder tracks barefooted - a normal capability of the human foot, though a constantly shoe-wearing "tenderfoot" is unable to understand it..
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Should Older Children Go Barefoot?
Not so long ago, children in rural areas most always went barefoot in warm weather, as did many adults. It is only since shoes have been inexpensively made that we have taken to wearing them constantly.

Fortunately, customs are changing again. In California and Florida it has become popular for children in larger cities to go barefoot. It has always been popular in Hawaii. Children in the suburbs of Eastern cities are going barefoot in the summer.
Are you afraid your child will injure his feet playing if he goes barefoot? In Hawaii children and grownups play football in their bare feet. There are a great many such football teams, called the "Barefoot Leagues."
Are you afraid he will catch cold if he goes outdoors with his feet uncovered? In a children's institution in Eggenberg, Austria, some years ago, the director, unable to afford shoes, had the boys and girls go barefoot throughout the winter - sometimes in deep snows. They were none the worse for the experience, and they developed a much greater immunity to colds than children in the same village who wore shoes.
Are you concerned with what neighbors will think about your child going barefoot? One summer I examined the children's feet in an orphanage in Baltimore. The shoes which had been provided were so illfitting that I suggested to the woman in charge it would be better to let the children go barefoot. "I agree," she replied, "but visitors seeing orphan children barefooted will protest, 'The poor children are not even being given shoesl' " Surely your child need not be bound by such artificial notions of well-being.
Do you live in the city, where children do not ordinarily have the opportunity to go barefoot? Then you should make it a habit to have your child take his shoes off when coming in from the street. Let him put on slipper socks, thong sandals, or go barefoot.
If you had the occasion to examine as many feet as I have, you would instantly be able to detect those who have had the opportunity to go barefoot as children. The suppleness and strength in their feet makes their appearance distinctive. "You went barefooted often as a child!" I frequently tell people I have never seen before. They look at me surprised, but invariably they say, "Yes." I add, "You never tire easily, do you?" The answer is almost always, "No, never."