Foot Health

Although they are constantly growing, children’s feet mature very slowly, only becoming fully developed around the age of 18.

How your child’s feet are treated during these years will affect their health and comfort for a lifetime. Feet, if neglected can invite problems in other parts of the body such as legs and back. So whether your child is taking those first wobbly steps, starting school or growing up into an avid fashion follower, here at Poppy Red we have the shoes to suit. Ranges which provide comfort, support and breathability in styles you and your child will love.

Babies

Development of the foot.

A baby’s foot contains no bones, only cartilage, which gradually fuses together over their childhood to form 26 bones. The feet have a protective layer of ‘puppy fat’ while they grow and you may notice they have no obvious arches and toes are all a similar length.

Crawling.

When your baby begins to crawl around they will certainly keep you on your toes! As you would imagine this is a very exciting time for your baby. There is so much to see and explore and on these travels there will be times their feet need safeguarding.  For this you need a very lightweight and flexible shoe so as not to prevent your child from learning how to move.

• Textured soles to aid the grip for pushing themselves along.
• Leather uppers or other soft materials to care for the feet.
• 10mm growing room – enough to allow them to grow, but not too much length to get in their way when they start to pull themselves up.

Toddlers

Develpoment of the foot

The soft cartilage in your baby’s foot will now be starting to ossify, turning to bony tissue. The shape of the fully-grown foot is starting to form.

Cruising

When your child feels steady, they will let go of their support and walk to another support. This is the cruising stage. Their feet may point out and legs be wide apart, this is all part of learning to walk.  At this stage it is best to get your toddler some pre walker shoes.

These should be lightweight with very flexible soles, to help them feel the floor with their feet, to improve their balance.  Toe protection is good as they will still probably be crawling around sometimes. This protects their little toes and the shoes from scuffing!

Pre-walkers should have leather uppers or other soft materials to care for the foot. They should have around 10mm of growing room – enough to allow them to grow but not too much to make them trip.

Starting to walk.

The foot at this stage will have more bones than any other time – 45 separate bone centers which will fuse together over the next 16 years. Their feet can grow up to 2 ½ sizes a year at this stage and you will notice the foot taking on a more adult shape. If there is no real arch development at this stage it’s perfectly natural.

Most children learn to walk between 9 and 18 months . Don’t worry if your child takes a little longer. Your child needs to develop at their own pace – the worst thing you can do is rush them.

When buying your child’s first pair of shoes you need to make sure they still have highly flexible soles.

It is best to get a shoe which supports the whole foot and up the ankle for extra stability. Adjustable fastenings and additional padding to cushion active feet can also be a good idea though not essential.

Between 10 & 14mm of growing room should be allowed at the time of purchase.

Going to School

At five your child’s arches should now have formed and they should walk with their feet straight. The secondary bone centers are now beginning to fuse and the ‘puppy fat’ reducing. Growth rate should slow to around one size a year.  It is still important for feet to be able to move naturally at this stage but also for the shoe to be sturdy and protect the feet too.

Shoes should still allowing up to 14mm growing room, no more, as shoes which are too big may result in children ‘clawing’ their toes which will cause problems in later life.

Young teens

Although the feet are the first part of the body to stop growing the bones are still developing so good fitting shoes are still important. It is not until around the age of 18 that the foot is fully formed.

Fashion and taste play a big role at this stage, your child may like styles that are not good for their feet such as pumps. This is not to say they shouldn’t wear these but if possible, try to get some with a substantial sole and making sure they have another pair of supportive shoes for regular use.

If you have any concerns about your child’s feet, take advice from a paediatric podiatrist who will be able to give you the correct information on any corrective measures you should take.

Things to look out for include shoe soles wearing unevenly, children walking with one or both feet turned in and an unusual amount of tripping. These are only a few examples so always ask for advice if you have any concerns.