With the recent trend for barefoot running, and the associated questioning of the need for highly cushioned, supportive running Ugg Stripe Cable Knit Boots, some parents may now be thinking a little more about their children's footwear - or indeed, whether they should encourage them to go barefoot.
So what about UGG Classic Cardy Boots for kids that haven't made it on to two feet yet? According to O'Neill, their primary function is to provide warmth. But Byrne believes they are a waste of money. "Crawling is an essential skill to master, but it is very difficult when you are wearing pram Ugg Classic Argyle Knit Boots or 'Crawlers'," she says. "Crawling stimulates the brain to develop convergence of vision; people who skip this phase as babies may find it extremely difficult to learn to read and write as children. And in the case of children who crawl backwards to begin with, UGG Bailey Button Triplet Boots can put extra pressure on the structures of the foot and leg."

Clarks, which produces Crawlers, makes the following declaration on its website: 'There's nothing better for young feet than walking barefoot, whenever it's safe. It helps muscles develop, allows the skin to breathe and feeling the ground beneath their feet will help UGG Bailey Button Fancy Bootslearn to walk.' The title of this statement? 'Barefoot is best.'
Byrne, whose own two young children go unshod wherever possible, offers free foot health checks for children from her East London-based practice. "The more parents know about the structure of children's feet, the more we can prevent footwear-related damage being done," she says.

What sort of damage? Research published in podiatry journal The Foot in 2007 suggests that structural and functional changes can result from the foot having to conform to the shape and constriction of aUGG Bailey Button Boots, rather than being allowed to develop naturally. And the younger the foot, the greater the potential for damage.