Children’s feet

The foot is a complex structure of 26 bones and 35 joints, held together and supported by scores of ligaments. A baby’s foot is padded with fat and is highly flexible.

Children begin to walk anywhere between eight and 18 months of age. Most toddlers are flat-footed when they first start walking, or tend to turn their feet inwards, because muscle strength and ligament stiffness needs to catch up to other development. The flat-footedness nearly always improves as the feet strengthen.

Always see your podiatrist or doctor if you are concerned about your child’s feet or gait.

 

Children and wearing shoes

A child learning to walk receives important sensory information from the soles of their feet. Shoes, particularly those with hard and inflexible soles, can make walking more difficult. Your toddler doesn’t need shoes until they have been walking for a couple of months, and then only to protect their feet from sharp objects.

It is important to allow your child to go barefoot regularly to help them develop balance, coordination and posture. Have your child’s shoes professionally fitted, which should include measuring each foot for length and width. Children’s feet grow very quickly and their shoe size may need updating every few months. Shoes that are too tight can hamper your child’s walking and cause problems, such as ingrown toenails and bunions.