A baby or toddler barefoot in public can catch a nasty infection.
But sanitation aside, some people think it’s gross. Little dirty feet can stink and appear grubby.
Babies’ and toddlers’ bare feet will get grimy, soiled and filthy after being on a dirty public floor or other surface.
Many babies will play with their toes at some point, once they’re placed back in a stroller in the car.
One day I was standing behind a woman and her toddler barefoot son. She picked him up and placed him feet first on the checkout conveyer—which was filthy!
She did this so that he could stand and grab an item from the display on the other side of the conveyor.
After she set him back in the shopping cart, lo and behold, he began playing around with his toes, then put his fingers in his mouth.
Fungus Infection, Stomach Flu
“The most common infections contracted from bare skin coming in contact with a contaminated surface are fungal skin infections (e.g., ringworm, aka tinea corporis),” says Irene Tien, MD, a board-certified pediatric ER physician with Mass General Brigham in MA.
Dr. Tien continues, “A child whose feet come in contact with any bacteria that can cause food poisoning (e.g., salmonella, E. coli, norovirus, rotavirus) and then are put in his mouth can make the child develop a stomach flu (vomiting, diarrhea).”
Salmonella and E. coli can easily make their way onto a grocery store conveyor belt!
Babies routinely put their toes in their mouths. Is this any more hygienic than if a flexible 12-year-old had his dirty toes in his mouth?
I’m betting most people would deem this very uncouth and unsightly, simply because the boy is 12 years rather than 12 months.
How to Keep Feet Covered
“Baby shoes” are often considered unnatural and uncomfortable, but supportive sneakers for babies have been on the market for many years.
And there are also booties for babies. Plus, toddlers are ready for little sneakers.
Walmart’s Floors and Barefoot Babies
Parents allow their babies and toddlers to scamper about on Walmart’s floors barefoot.
Indoors or out, a toddler’s bare feet can get punctured by particles of glass; bits of sharp food like peanuts, peanut shells and tortilla chip fragments; a thumbtack, rusty nail or other tiny piece of hardware.
And of course, animal feces.
This problem also occurs at airports. Why don’t parents put socks or booties on their babies’ and toddlers’ feet? The floors of airports are filthy.
Toddlers and babies who can walk love this freedom to ambulate.
The irony is that when they’re barefoot, their ability to ambulate is hampered.
They also run the risk of stubbing a toe (not to mention stepping on something sharp).
Barefoot baby proponents may argue that bare feet can “breathe.” They may insist that those hard baby shoes will ruin bones (though certainly, special supportive footwear and booties won’t).
They may also point out that their baby will remove the booties, so what’s the use?
- Find booties that can’t be pulled off.
- Many parents haven’t even tried booties.
It takes only moments to slip on booties or footwear, so it’s doubtful that saving a few seconds is the reason parents don’t cover their babies’ feet in public.
Babies’ feet can stink.
I once read about a woman who said her nine-month-old daughter’s feet were really stinky, so she always rubbed cream on them and kept her barefoot in public (as well as at home).
Finally she consulted with a pediatrician and was told to stop applying the cream, wash the feet daily with soap and water, and have the baby wear clean socks; the socks would wick away any perspiration.
I wonder how often a baby’s bare feet are dry and odorless, rather than moist, sticky and stinky. Feet, by nature, stink.
Especially bare feet that have been pitter-pattering around on filthy public floors.
And if socks fall off?
Well, as one anti-barefoot mother said on a posting board, “Just put them back on!”
A baby or toddler will repeatedly drop their “binkie,” but mothers don’t mind repeatedly picking the germy thing up from the floor and placing it back in the child’s mouth.
So why is putting socks or booties back on so daunting?
In practice for 20+ years, 
