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Going barefoot was especially common in the poorer developing countries where parents often can not afford to buy even inexpensive footwear for their children. Climate is also a factor as these countries are primarily located in tropical areas where footwear are not needed for cold weather. This certainly was the case in India. Many children even go barefoot to school. It is especially common for younger children to go barefoot. One observer reports that most boys in Kerala went barefoot in the 1960s, especially from pooer families. He is not sure how common this is now. A reader writes, "I visited India during the last month. I was in Ranchi (Jharkhand State), Calcutta (West Bengal) and Bangalore (Karnataka). In rural areas and in suburbs most children (sometimes quite all) go barefoot. Also in the town many children go barefoot. I don't think that is only a poverty issue. Poorest boys go always barefoot, but not only them. I think that bare feet are not seen as a poverty signal and many boys chose to go without footwear. In the photos we can see a boys' group in a rural area near Bangalore, but also a family visiting de Queen Victoria Memorial in Calcutta." Another reader writes, "People in India go barefoot in all religions prayer places (Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist and Christian). It is also a respect signal. In Ranchi I saw high school students taking off the footwear entering in the teacher's office." India and Asia in general has made tremendous economic progress since this photograph was taken in the 1990s. India has followed the Asian Tigers, belatedly and not so bold, but it began to institute market reforms. And we now see some Indian boys wearng footwear, but we still see many boys children going barefoot. And it is not just poor children. We see middle-class boys from comfortable families going barefoot. We note that from the way children are dressed and the fact that it is the case in private schools and well as public schools. This seems to be the case becuse both the children and the parents prefer it. We see no demonstrable trend of indoan children begining to wear footwear in huge numbers.
Going barefoot was especially common in the poorer developing countries where parents often can not afford to buy even inexpensive footwear for their children. Footwear can be the most expensive clothing item, especially if leather is involved which is often the case for both shoes and sandals. The introduction of flip-flops, however, in the 1960s provided an inexpensive form of footwear, one that even many poor families could afford. in many countries as economivic conditions imprived, we see fewer children hoing barefoot. Here Italy is a prime example. In recent years there has been a huge expansion of the middle class, primrily because of the market reforms (read cpitalism) (1990s). There is still, however, a huge swath of the Indian population that is desperately poor, especially in rural areas. .
Climate is also a factor as these countries are primarily located in tropical areas where footwear are not needed for cold weather. This certainly was the case in India where mst of the populauon live in central and southern India where the climate is very warm. The equator does not cross India, but it crosses the Indian Ocean just south of India. The souther tip of India is about 8° north.
Indian mothers make sure that their children are well dressed for school. schoolwear is very basic, but the children from even poor families seem mostly weering clean new looking shirts and short pants and dresses--almost always western garments, but the vast majority of children come to school barefoot. And as far as we can tell this is largely by choice.
It is especially common for younger children to go barefoot.
Both boys and girls in India go barefoot. We see no discerable gender differences.
For all of history almost all Indian children went barefoot. This of course was the case in most countries, at least countries with warm climates year round. This did not change with independence (1947). One observer reports that most boys in Kerala were going barefoot in the 1960s, especially from pooer families. A reader writes, "I visited India during 2002. I was in Ranchi (Jharkhand State), Calcutta (West Bengal) and Bangalore (Karnataka). In rural areas and in suburbs most children (sometimes quite all) go barefoot. Also in the town many children go barefoot. I don't think that is only a poverty issue. Poorest boys go always barefoot, but not only them. I think that bare feet are not seen as a poverty signal and many boys chose to go without footwear. In the photos we can see a boys' group in a rural area near Bangalore, but also a family visiting de Queen Victoria Memorial in Calcutta." We see some Indian boys wearng footwear (2020s), but we still see many more children contuinuing to go barefoot. And it is not just poor children. We see middle-class boys from comfortable families going barefoot. We note that from the way children are dressed and the fact that it is the case in private schools and well as public schools. This seems to be the case because both the children and the parents prefer it. We see no demonstrable trend of Indian children beginng to wear footwear in huge numbers. With groups of children we now see a few with some kind of footwear, but usually mot children are barefoot.
Another reader writes, "People in India go barefoot in all religions prayer places (Hindu, Jain, Sikh, Muslim, Buddhist, and Christian).
Removing footwear also seems to be a respect signal. A reader reports that in Ranchi I saw high school students taking off the footwear entering in the teacher's office."
India and Asia in general has made tremendous economic progress since this photograph was taken in the 1990s. India has followed the Asian Tigers, belatedly and not so bold, but it began to institute market reforms. Indian politicans reluctantly turned to free market sollutions. Tht began to implement a range of free-market economic polices (1990s). In sharp comparison to the stagnation of the post-independence years, the result was dynamic economic growth. The result has been a huge expansion of the country's middle class. Government studies suggest that about 30 percent of the country now belong to the middle class. Many are nw entrants to the middle class from humble origins. A strong vibrant middle class is a key factor in both democratic government and economic prosperity.
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