PRAGUE, MAY 18, 2026 – Just a few years ago, most parents believed that sturdy ankle boots were the best choice for their little ones. But opinions are changing. Lately, more and more parents have been taking an interest in minimalist footwear.
The moment a child starts taking their first steps, parents face a difficult task – choosing the right shoes. The right choice is very important, as it can affect foot development for a lifetime. But navigating the overwhelming range of options on offer can be complicated. Minimalist footwear is increasingly catching the eye of Czech parents. Given established standards, though, some still hesitate – are "barefoot shoes" really the right choice for beginner walkers? "Walking barefoot supports healthy development of the foot and balance. If little feet are put into rigid shoes too early, this can deform bones that are still soft and developing. Children who have already learned to run on their own suddenly seem to lose the lightness in stiff shoes that they had while moving barefoot. They stumble in shoes or walk very unnaturally. Only once children have mastered walking and move safely on their own does the right moment come to buy proper shoes," explained Anna Yona, founder of Wildling Shoes.
Parents want to give their children the greatest possible comfort. This also applies to footwear – they often worry that uneven ground, small stones, or hard asphalt will bother their children, so they buy shoes with hard soles. But that is actually one of the biggest mistakes parents make when buying children's shoes. "The natural function of the foot is to gather information from our surroundings, which is why walking barefoot should be a given from the earliest age. If we keep enclosing feet in tight shoes – which already happens even with small babies who aren't yet walking – we hinder their healthy development. For the foot to develop properly, it's essential to give the toes as much freedom as possible and to stimulate the sole with a variety of textured surfaces. Hard, rigid shoes don't allow for that; on the contrary, barefoot walking strengthens the muscles in the foot, and wearing minimalist footwear allows the foot's joints their maximum range of motion while walking, without restricting the movement of individual bones," said Iva Bílková, lead physiotherapist at FYZIOklinika.
Once parents have made up their mind about the type of shoe, another difficult task follows – choosing the right size. "Choosing the correct shoe size is more complicated than it might seem at first glance. Even older children usually don't notice on their own that their shoes are too small, and they can't say whether something is pulling or pressing somewhere. On top of that, sizes vary enormously between different shoe manufacturers, and parents rarely learn the actual cut and length of the shoe. The commonly used method of pressing a thumb on the tip of the shoe is also not a reliable indicator of whether there's enough room inside. Children reflexively pull their toes back or curl them, making the foot look shorter than it actually is," noted Barbora Nikolaus, Czech representative for Wildling Shoes.
The best method is to trace the child's foot on a piece of paper and measure its length from the longest toe to the center of the heel. "In any case, it's important that there is enough room between the tip of the longest toe and the tip of the shoe for growth – the average child's foot grows one millimeter per month – plus extra space so the toes can move forward during motion and walking. For children's shoes, an allowance of 12 millimeters is recommended," described Barbora Nikolaus.
The choice of shoes also depends on the season for which parents are buying them. Once they've decided on minimalist footwear, they need not worry about being unable to find shoes for the rain, for instance. Manufacturers now offer "barefoot shoes" for every season and every kind of weather. "Our range includes footwear made from a variety of materials – organic cotton, hemp, Tencel, wool, linen, washi paper – combined with an exceptionally flexible sole made of cork and recycled rubber. A major advantage of minimalist shoes is that they don't slip on any surface," listed Barbora Nikolaus.
The combination of materials and fabric density makes it possible to produce footwear that holds up even in demanding conditions while remaining virtually weightless. "The density of individual fabrics changes their properties – thanks to that, this year we have new waterproof spring shoes that no longer need a membrane. A membrane otherwise reduces the shoe's breathability. The shoes are woven so densely that they withstand unpleasant weather influences. The low-cut ‘Saker’ model is similar, suitable from spring through summer and able to withstand rainy weather too. We also offer classic membrane shoes for spring through autumn, ideal specifically for bad weather. Our Merino sock shoes are very breathable shoes for summer. Similarly breathable are the paper Tanuki shoes made from Washi material, which have the advantage of drying very quickly, so they can even be used near water; both models are ultralight and ideal for summer outdoor use. Other interesting materials include European linen, which cools pleasantly in summer. All our winter shoes have a membrane, and our specialty is wool shoes, which contain natural lanolin and are resistant to bad weather," concluded Barbora Nikolaus.
MEDIA CONTACT:
Mgr. Petra Ďurčíková_media consultant
+420 733 643 825, petra@pearmedia.cz, pearmedia.cz
WILDLING SHOES, www.wildling.shoes
Anna and Ran Yona, whose children loved running barefoot in warm weather, needed to find sturdier footwear for winter. However, the parents couldn't find a brand – even among the most expensive ones – that would let their children walk naturally without hindering foot development. That's how the German family company Wildling Shoes was founded in 2016. Today, this fast-growing company offers unisex shoes for children and adults and employs almost three hundred people. In 2021, the number of minimalist shoes sold exceeded 500,000. The company places great emphasis on the sustainability of materials and on maintaining socially fair conditions in manufacturing and trade. In the Czech Republic, Wildling Shoes supports the non-profit organization Kokoza and the One World documentary film festival. The company holds the German Design Award 2020 and was recently named the best German employer for women and German company of the year 2021.
