Recommended by Experts – Tested by Toddlers!

Consultant Paediatric Podiatrist and lecturer at Glasgow Caledonian University Gordon Watt says “many parents grossly underestimate the importance of looking after their child’s feet while they are growing.  Unlike adult feet, children’s feet grow. The study showed that children’s feet were at serious risk because they were contained in an environment that restricted their growing feet. Children are born with relatively soft and   flexible cartilage which gradually converts to bone with age. As they are growing, their feet are vulnerable to injury and deformity due to ill-fitting footwear.”

“In thirty years of fitting children’s shoes I have seen many changes in   the shoe industry. This is especially true in the style of shoes that parents are purchasing for their babies. Hard leather soles and stiff uppers were the rule many years ago. Since that time we have progressed…. Soft leather uppers that conform to the foot and offer greater freedom of movement are now   recommended.” Dr. Kirk Watson

10 Facts about Feet

1. Your baby only has 22 out of the full 26 bones in her feet and the remaining few develop slowly throughout childhood, with the whole process finishing at around 16 to 18 years old.
2. Your baby’s feet are formed from soft, pliable cartilage, which makes them more susceptible to malformation.
3. A baby’s foot perspires at twice the rate of an adult’s – so only use socks and shoes made of breathable, absorbent material.
4. The foot contains approximately 19 muscles.
5. Research has shown the use of baby walkers is associated with a delay in normal walking and activities such as standing and crawling. This is because baby walkers encourage joints to take load earlier than intended and the foot and lower limbs to move in an unnatural walking pattern.
6. If possible, do not put your child in the same shoes every day. Alternate shoes to allow them to dry out.
7. Have your children’s shoes checked every six to eight weeks as their feet grow, on average, two full sizes a year until they are four or five years old.
8. A young child’s foot is a different shape from that of an adult or teenager. It is triangular with a narrow heel and a broad front with the inner side of the foot angled inwards. An adult foot tends to have a rectangular shape when looking at the sole.
9. A child’s shoe heel should be no more than 1.5in (4cm) tall.
10. Unusual wear on your child’s shoes may be the first indication that there is a problem with the foot posture or general posture and should always be investigated by your registered podiatrist.  (Source Junior Magazine, UK)