How to choose your child’s first shoes? You should know that children’s feet are different from adults’ feet mainly because they are not yet fully developed. In children as young as 6 months, the foot is still largely cartilaginous. The last bones do not start to fuse until the child is about 3 years old. By about the age of 18, all the bones have fused. All children have shallow arches. Leg bones start to form from about age 3 until the end of adolescence.
When the child starts walking, shoes should only be worn when there is a need to protect the feet (e.g. from cold, sharp stones and other ground). As much as possible, the child should be allowed to be barefoot to allow his/her muscles to get stronger.
First steps
Sometimes children walk with their toes in or out. In most cases, this is normal and children will outgrow it by around the age of 2. Children under the age of 3 sometimes walk on a bowed horn and this is a typical developmental stage. If the child continues to walk like this after the age of 3, specialist advice should be sought. A child taking his/her first steps often leans on the inside of the foot and appears to have no foot at all. As mentioned above, this is normal, as the plantar fascia starts to develop around the age of 3. The gait of a beginner walker is bending, with the feet on the bar and the thumbs pointing outwards. This is the best way to maintain balance. When the child is a more skilled walker, the feet also turn inwards.
Development of the feet
When a baby is born, its legs are pointy because of a fat pad under the sole. This is perfectly normal.
As the child grows, the axis of the knee joints also changes. At birth, the child has o-legs (strabismus). This is due to its compressed position. As they grow, the legs become straighter. Around 1.5-2 years of age, the legs are almost straight.
O-footing can be assessed by measuring the distance between the knees when the child stands with feet together. If the result is equal to or less than 5 cm, there is nothing to worry about.
From the second year of life onwards, physiological x-footing develops. The knees begin to straighten again around 4-5 years of age and take their final shape around 7-8 years of age. In overweight children, x-legging may persist longer than normal.
X-legging can be assessed by measuring the distance between the ankles when the child stands with the knees together. If the result is equal to or less than 5 cm, it is probably a physiological condition and there is nothing to worry about.
The process of changing the axis of the knee joint is perfectly natural, but it is worth making sure that it is symmetrical, with no limping or pain. It is considered a danger sign if no physiological change in shape has occurred by a certain age. E.g. o-legs persist after the age of 3 and x-legs after the age of 8.
Baby’s first shoes
If your child is not yet walking independently, he or she does not need shoes. In an inactive child, ‘real’ shoes will not keep the feet warm. For a child who does not yet walk independently, it is best to use hoods or slippers. They are comfortable to walk in and keep feet warm. Choose your child’s first shoes when he or she is walking more confidently. Your baby’s pointy feet will change in size when he or she starts to move actively. So shoes bought too early may no longer fit an active baby.
Young children’s feet grow very quickly. Children up to the age of 3 years should have their feet measured every 1-3 months to make sure that the size of their existing footwear fits. You can find a guide to measuring your feet here.
As the child’s feet are not yet fully developed, it is particularly important to choose footwear in which the feet do not deform in any way under abnormal pressure. Shoes that are too small or too narrow can lead to problems in the future.
Your child’s first shoes should not interfere with the normal development of the foot. They should:
- follow the natural shape of the foot and should not press the toes together,
- leave a space of about 8-10 mm between the longest toe and the foot;
- be securely fastened to the foot;
- take into account not only the height but also the width and height of the child’s feet;
- be as light as possible, so that it is easy for him to move around;
- be soft and flexible so that they do not restrict his activities or the movement of his toes and feet;
- be heel/ankle free, without a prosthesis, imitate being barefoot. This is the only way to strengthen the leg muscles naturally;
- allow the ankle joint to move freely. The heel must therefore not be reinforced and the shoe must not be orthopaedic.
Barefoot shoes meet all these criteria and are the best choice for kids (and for you).
Material used:
https://www.podiatry.org.au/foot-health-resources/kids/childrens-feet218
https://mvperearstid.ee/mida-peaks-teadma-lapse-jalgadest/
https://www.footankle.com/children-feet/shoes-child/
https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/childrens-feet
https://mvperearstid.ee/mida-peaks-teadma-lapse-jalgadest/
University of Tartu Hospital. O- AND X-JEALS. Editors: physiotherapists Karmen Viigand and Ülle Utsal, Paediatric Clinic 2012