Tots feet – how to measure for size

Embrace our barefoot culture, but when you have to buy shoes, make sure you get it right

BY THE TIME your toddler is 15 months old she could be walking. Her feet and toes have been strengthened and groomed for walking from all the crawling and standing she has already done. At this point your child’s navicular bone (a boat-shaped bone in the ankle or wrist) is yet to be formed. This bone is situated at the point where shoes are usually fastened.

Over time, as your child grows, the soft bones in her feet will begin to ossify, or harden. She will also start to lose the puppy fat on her foot and her somewhat “flat” foot will transform to an arch shape.

In a recent study published in Frontiers in Pediatrics South African and German research teams compared the feet of typically barefoot South African children to typically shoe-wearing North German children.

Professor Ranel Venter from the University of Stellenbosch says the study showed that “regular physical activity without wearing shoes is advantageous for the development of jumping and balancing”.

For example, the barefoot children could jump further from standing than their shoe-wearing counterparts could.

“Children who are often barefoot have arches that are higher, and their feet are more flexible and less flat,” explained Ranel’s colleague, Dr Elbé Venter.

In an earlier study, Elbé found that the feet of barefoot South African children are very different to those of European shoe-wearers.

“The problem is that the growing feet or our barefoot children are forced into European shoes, which are too narrow. It doesn’t help to buy a bigger size, as this just changes the natural functioning of the foot as the shoes’ designed bending point doesn’t correspond to the foot’s natural bending point.”

ADVICE FOR SHOE BUYING

In year two your child’s feet will grow rapidly and she will most likely go through two shoe sizes.

With your little one walking now you will need to buy her shoes with extra padding and close cropped soles to prevent tripping. The shoes also need to be able to bend easily so that it doesn’t

hinder the further development of your child’s growing feet. The shoe should have a straight shape that doesn’t flare out or in at the toe.

Remember choosing your child’s shoe is vitally important for the healthy development of her feet. Here are some tips on choosing the perfect fit for your little one: • No matter what age, the flexibility of the shoe is very important. Test for flexibility by bending the two ends of the shoe toward each other. • Use a foot chart to choose the right length of the shoe for your child (you can even use ours). Note that there should be one adult thumb-width between the end of the shoe and your child’s toes. • There should be enough space between the sides of the shoe and your child’s foot. For toddlers this space should be at least 14mm. • Go for fully adjustable fasteners that grow with the foot. • Don’t be tempted to resole your child’s shoes as this makes them smaller.