Summary: Barefoot is good! Shoes may be necessary. From the American Academy of Pediatrics website for parenting tips, healthychildren.org , babies' feet will develop best without shoes; however, shoes are necessary for protection once they are walking outdoors. 1 Gimunová, et al published a study in 2022 which showed a higher plantar arch and smaller foot progression angle for infants walking barefoot after 7 months of independent walking. 2 The foot progression angle is