Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Barefoot Kids at City Playgrounds Face Fines!
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 30, 2008
Modified Jul 30, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Jul 30, 2008
Modified Jul 30, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Well, more accurately, their parents face the fines if their kids kick their Crocs off their feet. Parents have been complaining how the playground mats heat up so much that their kids' bare feet literally burn, so now the Parks Department is more aggressively enforcing a "Wear Shoes at All Times" policy. A Parks Dept. spokeswoman told the Daily News, "It would be possible to write a summons, but no summonses have been issued." But one parks worker said the crackdown is simply due to the threat of lawsuits from parents. NYC Parks Advocates' Geoffrey Croft scoffed at the tickets, "That would be absurd. Are they going to have the kids sign their names in crayon?" Hey, you never know.
Tagged
barefoot
kids
parks department
playground mats
playgrounds
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Man shot by ICE in NYC still has bullet lodged in neck, attorneys say
Oscar Belgal, a 28-year-old immigrant from the Dominican Republic, was in solitary confinement at the Metropolitan Detention Center in Sunset Park on Monday.
By
Liam Quigley
Published Oct 12, 2026 at 11:37 a.m. ET
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
News
NY measles spread prompts 'disaster' emergency. It didn't have to be this way, health commissioner says.
The state health commissioner says the disease outbreak is wholly preventable.
By
Elizabeth Shwe
NYC wants to move deliveries onto the waterways. It's starting with a 55-year-old boat.
By
Liam Quigley
Inside the luxury Greenpoint high-rise powered by a rumbling generator for over a month
By
David Brand
Mayor Mamdani orders review of NYPD use of force policies
By
Michael Sol Warren
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .