A foot health coach has given us all a lesson in the fragility of children’s feet – and as a parent who’s purchased far too many T-bar shoes and cute summer sandals for my daughter, it’s probably going to cause some sleepless nights.
Austin Keith took to X – formerly known as Twitter – to explain how children’s feet are “most susceptible to the damaging effects of modern footwear”.
“Feet do not fully develop until the age of 12,” he wrote in a thread which has been viewed more than 6 million times. Although it’s worth noting some resources suggest this is actually more like 18 years – gulp.
“Until then, their feet are extremely moldable.”
He started off with some facts – like, did you know that when a child is born they have 22 bones in each foot?! And then by around three to four years of age, the number of bones doubles.
But, during this time, the bones are not fully hardened and your child’s feet are very malleable. If you want to see what we mean, watch the short clip below to see just how malleable we’re talking. Hello, little foot hands.
So it goes without saying then that the shoes they wear in their formative years – and even at school – can have a big impact on their overall foot health.
“The development of a child’s foot can be hindered by wearing overly restrictive and overly supportive shoes,” said Keith.
“A critical part of building a foot’s arches is allowing the toes and foot the freedom to move freely and naturally.”
This is because we’re not actually born with arches in our feet – in fact, it can take up to five years for these to develop. So that explains why so many toddlers are heavy footed.
The foot specialist says it’s “extremely beneficial” for your child to go barefoot where possible. But obviously they’ll need to wear shoes outdoors – in which case, choosing the right shoe is important.
When selecting a shoe for your child, he suggests looking out for the following features in footwear:
- Thin and flexible sole
- Wide toe box
- No raised heel
- No artificial support
- Lightweight composition.
So basically, a shoe that’s as close to a natural foot as possible. It’s worth noting that a child’s foot is actually more triangular in shape – unlike our feet which are more of a rectangle shape. As such, the NHS recommends shoes should be fitted by a trained professional.
Children’s feet grow roughly two sizes per year in the first four years of life. So experts recommend you get them measure every eight weeks.
The Foot Ankle Institute also recommends parents can help their child’s feet to develop naturally by: tickling their feet and playing with their toes (to encourage flexibility); letting kids walk around barefoot indoors; making sure they have room to kick and move freely in bed; and regularly checking to make sure socks and shoes aren’t restrictive.
Well, now you know.