Is there anything beneficial about babies learning to walk barefoot?

Walk: It will allow them to begin to walk when their muscles are ready...Not before.

Avoiding falls: Years ago parents put kids in "walking shoes" which bypassed some of the natural toe-walking in toddlers & was thought to support their feet.The shoes were heavy & kids often tripped when not in the shoes. Later studies have shown that kids who learn to walk barefoot, have less foot problems in life & fall less.

Yes, as they receive: more proprioceptive-kinesthetic input - where their lower extremities are in relation to other body parts & in relation to environmental objects. In Alabama, we used to say, "When walking outside, shoes are for keeping feet safe from sharp objects." But it was warm there. As Dr. F said, those old stiff Buster Browns that limited ankle foot dorsiflexion hindered development of heel-toe strike.