Durable Marathon Runners Put Their Best Feet Forward
Lorraine and Gary, late 1950's, Putaruru, New Zealand. We were barefoot until our teens and always running about the paddocks.Building strong feet begins at birth with the feet kept free of swaddling sock 
s, booties and those horrendous "Stretch & Grow" garments that fold the toes and cramp the feet (I always cut the feet out of every one that was given to us before they went on any of my children). The toddler should be encouraged to stumble about in sand and mud, strengthening the muscles and sinews of the feet and ankles; and stimulating the senses through a flood of tactile sensations through the soles of the feet which are rich with sensory nerves.
Children rapidly develop strong soles that are highly resistant to stones, if only they are allowed to run about barefoot.
Feet should always be several degrees colder than the core of the body. So long as the child is not complaining of painfully cold toes and is warmly dressed about the head and torso, no harm will be done. As little children, we walked barefoot to primary school in winter, breaking the ice on the puddles as we went. Once at school we would eagerly defrost our agonizingly cold toes by toasting them against the classroom's pot-belly stove. Mother removing prickles with a large needle was a frequent task.
We had tough feet; life was very physical and there was a lot of rough and tumble: We played rugby and even hockey barefoot and our cross country and athletics races at secondary school were run barefoot. My first real training run at about 13 years old was a 5 mile run along a chip seal country road - barefoot, of course! Our feet were very strong. I could stamp hard onto a sharp stone back in those days. I still get about barefoot at every opportunity.
All of the Moller children were set up for life with as close to perfect feet for the decades of extreme punishment that were to be meted out upon them by their hyperactive owners. How things have changed.
Children rapidly develop strong soles that are highly resistant to stones, if only they are allowed to run about barefoot.
Feet should always be several degrees colder than the core of the body. So long as the child is not complaining of painfully cold toes and is warmly dressed about the head and torso, no harm will be done. As little children, we walked barefoot to primary school in winter, breaking the ice on the puddles as we went. Once at school we would eagerly defrost our agonizingly cold toes by toasting them against the classroom's pot-belly stove. Mother removing prickles with a large needle was a frequent task.
We had tough feet; life was very physical and there was a lot of rough and tumble: We played rugby and even hockey barefoot and our cross country and athletics races at secondary school were run barefoot. My first real training run at about 13 years old was a 5 mile run along a chip seal country road - barefoot, of course! Our feet were very strong. I could stamp hard onto a sharp stone back in those days. I still get about barefoot at every opportunity.
All of the Moller children were set up for life with as close to perfect feet for the decades of extreme punishment that were to be meted out upon them by their hyperactive owners. How things have changed.