,There are 26 bones and 28 joints in a child’s foot. At a young age bones in the foot are soft and malleable. Kids need a shoe that supports them and allows the muscles in the foot to develop as freely as possible.

0-2 YEARS:   An infant’s foot is very soft and flexible. The arches and muscle are not yet fully developed.

3-7 YEARS:  The arches are now beginning to develop, along with the muscles.

8-12 YEARS:  The foot is still very pressure sensitive. The arches are almost fully developed, giving the foot an adult-like shape.

As your child’s feet grow they are sensitive to pressure and load.
A correctly fitted shoe provides support and development to allow children to have freedom of movement.
The most important thing a shoe provides is freedom to a child, the freedom for adventure, curiosity, exploring and having fun. Feet are constantly growing.

Children’s feet grow in stages.

They grow very quickly in the first 2 years. Roughly half a size every 2 months which equates to 2cm through the year.
From 2-3 years the foot grows half a size every 3 months which amounts to 1.5cm a year.

When buying your children’s shoes, always remember the RULE OF THUMB.
You should have 1.5cm of space between the tip of the toe to the end of the shoe.
The style of shoes you choose for an infant should be designed around the shape of the foot. A fitting gauge may not be the size or fitting you actually require, it is only a starting point, so it is important to interpret the correct shoe for the shape of the foot.

Children’s shoes should be professionally checked for correct fit every 3-6 weeks for infants (0-3 years) 6 -8 weeks (3-4 years) and 10-12 weeks thereafter.

If you require further advice, please do not hesitate to contact us.