Well, bless their hearts. You reckon they were advised to wear their shoes when they left Alabama? Mt. Brook has one of the highest incomes per capita in the US. I expect, that not only have the kids been "out of Alabama" more than once, but they have also been out of the country more than once in their lives. As far as danger goes, how many posts have we read about how "safe" Aruba is? It is presented as one of the safest places to travel to. There are dangers everywhere. The fact any of these kids have survived going to downtown Birmingham proves they know about danger.
My parents live in Alabama and my youngest sister had the unenviable experience of going through the Alabama public school system. Believe me, no matter what kind of income level you're in in Alabama, you don't know anything about the world outside the USA.
And shoes are for the cold weather.