Cape Town - About 300 children in the Western Cape are participating in a new research project on walking barefoot.
The project is a collaboration between the University of Hamburg in Germany and Stellenbosch University’s Department of Sport Science.
The department’s Dr Ranel Venter said the hypothesis of the project was that the feet of South African children who were habitual barefoot walkers were different to those of their counterparts in Europe.
Venter said it started in 2007 when a group of students carried out a project on the impact of minimalistic shoes on athletes.
Research was also done on the effect of barefoot training on the stability and agility of netball players. “It was found that the ankles of players who train barefoot are more stable and that they are more agile.”
The possibility of a collaborative research project with the University of Hamburg was then mentioned to Venter. “In Germany and Europe children never walk barefoot. This is in contrast with the culture of walking barefoot here in South Africa. Children even go to school barefoot.”
Schools in the Western Cape were contacted for participation and children from Stellenbosch, Darling, Durbanville and Oudtshoorn form part of project.
“My long-term dream is to change the negative perception of barefoot walking. There is obviously a time and place for everything and we must wear shoes sometimes, but children must also go barefoot for foot development. Adults can also go barefoot at home.
“Although the effect of barefoot walking on the muscles of the foot has not been researched enough, it seems as if the muscles responsible for ankle stability are strengthened. This has implications for the prevention of ankle and foot injuries, as well as improved balance, which could prevent falls,” said Venter.
Cape Argus