Figure 1.--These boys seem to be not at all sure that they want their portrait taken. This undated image shows three American boys posing barefoot for their portait. We would guess that it was taken abiut 1910. The boys have been dressedup somewhat for their portrait, the youngest boy wears a tunic suit with lace trim. We get the impression, however, that this was not a very affluent family. Note how worn the knee pants are of the boy in the left. Image courtesy of the MD collection. Click on the image for more information about these boys.

Going barefoot was common for American boys in the 19th century and earlier periods. Shoes were expensive, especially for a family with many children. As 19th century shoes could be uncomfortable, many boys appear to have preferred going barefoot in the summer. Even in the early 20th century it was still quite common, especially in the southern states and rural areas. At this time a variety of social and economic factors combined to discourage children from going barefoot. Going barefoot declined as America became more urban, especially after the 1940s. The availability of inexpensive sneakers was probably another factor as well as more comfortable footwear in general. Social class was an important factor. Barefoot children, especially sending children barefoot to school, became seen as a sign of poverty. All of these factors varied over time. Going barefoot was much more common in rural than urban areas. It was also much more common for younger children, especially boys to go barefoot. Both boys and girls went barefoot, but we seem to see more boys than girls in the available photographic record.

Image Here

These boys are not at all sure that they want their portrait taken (figure 1). This undated image shows three American boys (David, Ross & Gordon Harper) posing barefoot for their portrait. The boys have been dressed up somewhat for their portrait, the youngest boy wears a tunic suit with lace trim. His older brothers wear identical stripped blouses with large Peter Pan collars. We get the impression, however, that this was not a very affluent family. Note how worn the knee pants are of the boy in the left. Perhaps mother has given up on keeping their pants clean, but has saved a blouse for special occasions.

Chronology

HBC has little actual information about the tendency of children to go barefoot. We have begun, however, to collect some information on this. Going barefoot was common for American boys in the 19th century. As 19th century shoes could be uncomfortable, many boys appear to have preferred going barefoot in the summer. There are many literary references to this. Several factors affected the tendency of children to go barefoot and all of these factors varied over time. Interestingly, we seem to see more of these barefoot portraits in the 1890s and 1900s than before or after. We are not sure why. We do not believe that going barefoot was more common than in the early- and mid-19th century. It was probably less common for a variety of reasons (urbanization, higher incomes, more comfortable shoes, etc.). We believe we see more barefoot images because we suspect two factors at play. One was the declining cost of a photographic portrait. The other was that there were more opportunities, such as itinerant photographers and studios set up in places like county fairs. A good example is the Kemp brothers in 1898. Going barefoot declined as America became more urban, especially after World War II. An American reader writes, "Something I think can be added to the discussion in the footwear section of why Americans stopped going barefoot in the summer is that in the summer paved roads and sidewalks can get too hot to walk comfortably on. When I was about 5, I once made the mistake of walking barefoot on a hot summer day on an asphalt driveway and after a few painful steps quickly ran to the side of the driveway where I stepped on a bunch of plant burrs. I think that there was also a lot more concern now about picking up diseases like tetanus and ring worm."

Regional Variations

Even in the early 20th century it was still quite common, especially in the southern states and rural areas. Going barefoot in the South of course was more common because of the warmer climate. This in fact caused a health problem as barefoot children in the South were more likely to contract ring worm. Boys also went barefoot in the northern states, but this was limited seasonally as they could not go barefoot when the weather turned cold.

Social Class

Social class was another factor related to children going barefoot. Boys from humble families were much more likely to go barefoot than boys from affluent families. Going barefoot, however, should not be seen as a sure indicator of poverty in the 19th century when many boys actually preferred to go barefoot, especially during the summer. Shoes in the 19th century were not a comfortable as today. Many modern children do not like to wear leather shoes, probably because sneakers are more comfortable. Shoes in the 19th century could be very uncomfortable. This is addressed by Marl Twain in The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. While of course a fiction book, little details like that were founded on reality. One factor that should be born in mind when considering social class is demographics. While middle-class and rich children in the big northeastern cities did not commonly go barefoot, even well-to-do children in small towns and rural areas were more likely to go barefoot. It was very common and often more comfortable.

Demographic Trends

Going barefoot was much more common in rural than urban areas. It was also much more common for younger children, especially boys, to go barefoot. Wearing shoes for many country boys had a city look. Mark Twain writes in Tom Sawyer, "The summer evenings were long. It was not dark, yet. Presently Tom checked his whistle. A stranger was before him -- a boy a shade larger than himself. A new-comer of any age or either sex was an impressive curiosity in the poor little shabby village of St. Petersburg. This boy was well dressed, too -- well dressed on a week-day. This was simply astounding. His cap was a dainty thing, his close-buttoned blue cloth roundabout was new and natty, and so were his pantaloons. He had shoes on -- and it was only Friday. He even wore a necktie, a bright bit of ribbon. He had a citified air about him that ate into Tom's vitals. The more Tom stared at the splendid marvel, the higher he turned up his nose at his finery and the shabbier and shabbier his own outfit seemed to him to grow. Neither boy spoke. If one moved, the other moved -- but only sidewise, in a circle; they kept face to face and eye to eye all the time." The photographic record shows that it was common for boys to go barefoot in rural areas. A good example is a rural Tennessee school in 1902. While going barefoot was most common in rural areas. We see city boys going barefoot as well. A good example is Clarence and Clifford LeMasters

Figure 2.--What many boys thought about wearing shoes in pre-Civil War America is described and illustrated in both "Tom Sawyer" and "Huckleberry Finn. Notice that Becky Thatcher is never depicted barefoot. I'm not sure who the illustrator in this scene from a 1904 edition of "Tom Sawyer".

Gender

Both boys and girls went barefoot, but we seem to see more boys than girls in the available photographic record. Here we think that accepted gender roles were a factor. It was accepted that boys were wilder and were freer to engage in adventuresome outdoor activities. There was also a question of toughness and manliness for many boys. Girls on the other hand were expected to be more demure and take more care with their grooming and how they dressed. Many very young girls in the 19th century when barefoot, but it was much less common for older girls. This changed in the late 20th century and it is now much more common to see girls going barefoot than boys.

Occasions

Boys in the 19th century might just wear shoes for special occasions such as church or parties. Twain writes in Tom Sawyer, "Then Mary got out a suit of his clothing that had been used only on Sundays during two years -- they were simply called his "other clothes" -- and so by that we know the size of his wardrobe. The girl "put him to rights" after he had dressed himself; she buttoned his neat roundabout up to his chin, turned his vast shirt collar down over his shoulders, brushed him off and crowned him with his speckled straw hat. He now looked exceedingly improved and uncomfortable. He was fully as uncomfortable as he looked; for there was a restraint about whole clothes and cleanliness that galled him. He hoped that Mary would forget his shoes, but the hope was blighted; she coated them thoroughly with tallow, as was the custom, and brought them out. He lost his temper and said he was always being made to do everything he didn't want to do. But Mary said, persuasively: "Please, Tom -- that's a good boy." So he got into the shoes snarling. Mary was soon ready, and the three children set out for Sunday-school -- a place that Tom hated with his whole heart; but Sid and Mary were fond of it."

Health and Safety

There are difference of opinions about health and safety factors. Going barefoot may expose children to a health danger--hook worm. This is especially true in the South where children most commonly went barefoot. I am not sure how important this was in the declining tendency to go barefoot after world War II. A reader writes, "Without going into any actual statistics or causes or effects of hook worm infections, I don't think think hook worm was ever a health 'problem' in the United States. It certainly existed in the early part of the 20th century more than it does nowadays, but I cannot see how the slightly greater chance of getting an infection then really had anything whatsoever to do with the trend over the years of children going barefoot less." Safety factors have led most schools and camps to require children to wear footwear. Here the concern seems to be mostly accidents such as stubbing toes or stepping on objects like rocks, nails, or glass that might cause injury. A reader writes, "The school, camp, and other rules that have discouraged going barefoot just go to show in this country (and especially in this country) the extent to which 'safety' concerns have completely lost perspective. Just living life involves risk. But just how much risk someone is willing to accept and still enjoy living seems to be influenced more by social norms and pressures and public opinion than by actual facts and statistics. Many things are dangerous. Riding in a car in traffic is dangerous. Going barefoot is not dangerous. That joy of early childhood has practically been lost in today's world not due to factual concerns but due to hyper-safety concerns based only on remote speculation. I lived in the South during the 1950s, in fact I was a young child in the South in the 40s and always went barefoot in the summer, as did all my friends. I never even heard of hook worm back then, so it certainly was not the issue that some might think. My dad, who grew up in the early part of the 20th century, told me he always went to school barefoot, as did almost every other child. He grew up in a rural county in North Carolina." The HBC 20th century school section certainly shows that many rural children went barefoot to school in the early 20th century.

Personal Comments

A Texas reader reports that kids went barefoot in summer in rural Texas in the late 1960's. While going barefoot has declined substantially in America, some youngsters still go barefoot in the summer--especially at summer seaside and lake shore resorts and camps. Often they do so at shopping malls or just "around the neighborhood". Legal constraints and the possibility of law suits have acted to discourage the practice as had the popularity of sneakers.

Another reader takes issue with our Texas reader. He tells us, "Your Texas reader writes, 'Legal constraints and the possibility of law suits have acted to discourage the practice as had the popularity of sneakers.' There are in fact NO legal constraints in the United States related to going barefoot. It appears the writer has bought into a popular myth. See Laws and regulations as well as various other references such as Society for Barefoot Living. A much more accurate statement, instead of "Legal constraints....," could have been something like, "The popular (but inaccurate) belief that there are legal constraints..." HBC does not know of any actual laws requiring shoes. Many institutions such as schools and camps, however, now require that childre wear shoes.

A HBC reader reports, "I was struck by your quotation from Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain) "a boy who didn't go barefooted, or wore shoes when it was not absolutely necessary, was viewed as a "Miss Nelly". The unfortunate lad being an object of complete derision among my companions." I was a young child in the late 1940s and early 50s growing up in the mid-west and mostly in Kansas. I can say without any doubt the same was true during that period of time as well as almost all of the kids both boys and girls spent the summers barefooted nearly 100 percent of the time. The very few that did not were excluded from all activities and boys especially were thought to be peculiar and often became the target of teasing. In the areas I grew up in I did not see a decline in children going barefooted during the summer until sometime in the late 50s or early 60s. By the early 1970s most but not all children still went barefooted in their neighborhoods but not in stores and other public places as they commonly did in the 1940s and 50s.

HBC Images

HBC has loaded numerous images of American children going barefoot. They are loaded on pages addressing various garments or other topics, but they suggest that it was quite common before World War I for children to go barefoot. We will link those pages here. We have just begun to build these links, so not many of the pages are linked yet.

1910: School group about: This looks to be some sort of school group, probably in the South. As all the children were barefoot, it was taken when the weather was warm. Perhaps it was a Sunday school group during the Summer.

1914: Arkansas family: Here we have a wonderful portrait of three generations of an America family taken in Bradley County, Arkansas. The grandparents were Thomas Henry and Sarah Voss Cox Stanfield. The parents were Lonnie and Katie McDougald.