Now That's a Lot of Freakin' Shoe!

I’ve been reading a lot in blogs, forums, and magazines about the whole minimalist barefoot vs non barefoot running debate, and the opinions cross the spectrum as to which is the ‘best’ way to run. Well, I’m not gonna really go there (for the moment). But I do want to touch on the kid’s side of running. All this talk had me thinking about the natural gait, foot strength, and development that is critical for kid’s to develop between 1~6 yrs. So for shoes, I know there are ROBEEZ for toddlers, which my kids did use. Now they’re 4 and can wear a more Athletic type shoe.

But I’m surprised at the lack of minimalist style shoes available for kids. In fact, all the shoes out there seem quite the opposite. I mean, look at my son’s current pair of shoes above. Look at all that turbo cushion and support! Really? They almost look (and feel) like an orthopedic shoe-which my kid's don't need. And these are actually a pretty ‘popular’ kid brand, and I’m looking at them now and sorta shaking my head.

So where are there more minimalist shoes out there for my kids to wear? Do you know? Hmmm….I guess for now I’ll just make a concerted effort to have my kids fling off the shoes whenever appropriate and keep on the lookout...;-)