Figure 1.--The children of the Barnaba family, a noble family are seen here playing barefoot on the grounds of their estate in the 1920s.

The North continued to prosper in the early 20th century which meant that more chidren were wearing shoes, but poor children continued to go barefoot. Lare numberrs of Italians contiued to imograte, modtly bfrom msouthern Italy. Most boys there contiued to go barefoot. Two decades of Fascist rule did not mesurably improve the living stanfards of Itkalians. We note some family snap shots of well to do children going barefoot. An Italian reader tells us, "I think that in 20th century among some wealthy families (not all) there was no problem to let the children go barefoot during the playtime at home or in the grounds around home. They would never, however, have let a child go barefoot in a public (except on a beach) or for a formal studio portrait." We note open toe sandals in the 1920s as summer footwear for wealthy children, while the poor still went barefoot. This continued to be the case at the time of Workd War II when the country was devestated. And even more children had to go barefoot. The situation contunued to be desperate for a time after the War. But then as the German Economic Miracle anf American aid helped revive the European economy leading to the Italian Economic Miracle (1950s). European integration was another important factor. More and more children began eearing shies, even in rural areas. For the first time in Italian history, most children were wearing shoes or sandals. Italy is now a very properous country, Very few children go barefoot, but sandals are very popular during the summer.