Touring schools in Auckland, we learned lots of different things. I want to share our wonder at what we discovered about school shoes!!
We noticed kids running around in bare feet, and we kept noticing it and began to wonder what was going on……wee kids in the playground on the coldest day that Auckland had experienced so far this winter.
Simple. Kids don’t have to wear shoes unless its a school excursion or a sport event. So lots of bare feet at school. We even spotted some kids walking home in bare feet, carrying their shoes! This is something Australia could try!
judyoconnell.com 
I can just see it now, in the US…”My child’s foot got cut and infected because someone left a bottle cap on the ground and your floors weren’t sanitized properly…so we are going to hold the school responsible for all Dr. bills and pain and suffering.”
I want the old days back where if this happened the parents would say, “Well its your fault for not watching where you were stepping. Wear shoes or stay alert! Maybe you will remember next time!”
Oh no I have a real bare feet phobia when it comes to bare feet in public places. Don’t think I would cope very well in New Zealand. I’m surprised that this is not an occupational health and safety issue with school kids. Wonder how many other countries have this same rule? I believe you have arrived in USA so hope you are having an excellent time.
I didn’t own shoes until I was 12, except for a pair of plastic sandals for wearing to church. Nobody wore shoes in the country Queensland primary school I went to – and those whose parents made them always took them off as soon as they got to school. I grew up playing on farms, at the local dump, in the storm drains, in local creeks and waterholes, all sorts of things and never wore shoes.
In fact, when I started High School and had to wear a pair of Bata Pony Tails, I felt SOOOOOO grown up!
Southern (NSW/VIC) kids always wore shoes cos they were soft, LOL!