

shoeless learning spaces

Let us start with a clear disclaimer: nobody knows why this works, although there are many hypothesies. On the other hand it does work astonishingly well: better learning, better behaviour and more (see below). So what do we know about shoeless learning today?

It probably started on mass in Scandinavia where many children learn with their shoes off. The weather - snow, ice, slush - led them to need outdoor shoes and boots for walking to and from home and these got left at the school door on arrival; hence their initial foray into shoelessness. Today, in very many schools worldwide, across all age ranges, shoeless learning has taken off, despite what is usually initial scepticism ("you asked them to do what?"!). Let us explore why...


So many schools are trying it - they confirm a complex mix of significant gains:



curiusly, every culture has their own explanation of why this works. The truth may be a little of everyone's theories...

in China they speak of the reflexology of the foot directly onto the floor;

in India they speak of the "respect" - you take shoes of when entering a sacred space;

in England we think it is "more like home" (although in Spain people often wear shoes in the house and yet shoeless learning works there too);

the children always just say "oh thank goodness" when they hear their learning is becoming shoeless - smart schools use it as a way to catalyse a conversation about better learning - and that meta cognition may well be a key propellant of success;


teachers must be shoes-off too - I was in a school recently where the children would simply not acknlowledge an adult who entered 'their" space in shoes (and quite right too);

please note also that children's shoeless feet do not smell - it is the shoes that make them smelly!



shoeless applies to everyone - teachers, headteachers, guests, caretakers, everyone - the cleaner floors that children like so much won't happen otherwise;

don't do it to the kids, do it with them; the gains are in engagement, meta-cognition, reflective learner practice, etc etc

you need to give notice - children need to know their wholly socks will not be exposed to mockery from their peers. Shoeless will start on <date> and clean the floors on the weekend before;



a few schools go to a half way" position of black plimsols but really this is just an uneccesary expense and complication - they get muddled and they are not needed




theft is not reported by anyone so far as a problem


if you are in outdoor buildings you need to put shoes on to move between buildings - noone seems to report this as a problem, it is just worth mentioning becuase you need multiple places to park shoes.


lots of images of shoelessness...

boys, comfy

secondary boys at Lampton School, Hounslow, London

shoeless library






coshions stack


dane without socks


rack of shoes




shoes off

just a strip of plastic floor to sore a huge number of shoes and boots - this in Norway's Tromso - but note the lack of carpets and children are still delighted to sit shoeless on the floor


Professor Stephen Heppell 2011

back to back to