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Children should have their shoe size checked regularly
Four in five children could be wearing ill-fitting shoes that may cause them long-term damage, say experts.
The Glasgow Caledonian University found 83% of a random sample of children attending a local primary school were wearing shoes that were too small.
The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists has also found few parents regularly check that their child's shoes fit properly.
Both warn that, by not doing so, children could suffer unnecessarily.
Make sure that your child's feet are measured for length and width every time they get new shoes
Gordon Watt, consultant paediatric podiatrist at Glasgow Caledonian University, said the problems that could arise from ill-fitting shoes ranged from minor pressure marks and blisters to more worrying deformities and problems with gait and posture.
He explained: "Children are born with relatively soft and flexible cartilage, which gradually converts to bone with age.
"As they are growing, their feet are vulnerable to injury and deformity due to ill-fitting footwear."
He said he had seen many children with knee and back pain caused by wearing the wrong-sized shoes.
He advised parents: "One of the most important things is to make sure that your child's feet are measured for length and width every time they get new shoes - even teenagers.
"Ideally, you should check whether your child's feet have grown and they need a bigger pair of shoes every eight weeks or so.
"Always have both feet measured, and the shoes should be 12-16mm longer than the longest toe."
Chloe, 13, had severe problems with pain in her knees.
She initially went to see her GP, who sent her to a hospital physiotherapist.
Despite 12 months of treatment her problem did not improve.
During this time her pain became so bad that she had to give up her favourite activities including long-distance running and netball.
It was not until her parents took Chloe to a chiropodist that it was discovered that it was one pair of ill-fitting shoes that were causing all the problems.
She has since thrown those shoes out, and her problems have disappeared.
Nice bit of propoganda. I have known Gordon (Wattie) for many, many years and he is an acknowledged expert in his field and an accomplished researcher. Some of his findings in earlier studies of inner city kids, were quite staggering, particularly from a sociological perspective. I still say a little caution is required and high fear of foot morbidity due to shoes is ill founded, and less persausive that it might appear at first sight. Watt meantime is careful to couch his extrapolations with caution but of course the press are more interested in the sensational. However there is a definate message there which has a lot more to do with regular school screenings than sore feet perse.
I agree with Cameron, the message is mixed - a bit of sensationalism from the media with a good dose of footwear common sense.
The problem is that there is very little literature available on the actual influence of footwear on the development of foot deformities in children. I understand that there is a large project being undertaken at Sydney Uni on this subject, but sadly it is not a Podiatry initiated-centred project.
I have a final year student who is undertaking a project on the type of footwear fitting information available to parents, and what it is based on. There is some information available (especially from footwear companies), but there is little research to back it up. A few articles, but these are often based on orthopaedic footwear. I would appreciate any direction which could be offered here.
Given that we spend so much time and effort on the development of our understanding of biomechanics and orthotic therapy, it perplexes me that we really don't put all that much effort into the area of children's shoes - after all they will have a profound influence on the effectiveness of any intervention we prescribe. I conducted a school survey (as part of my work with a major children's shoe manufacturer) assessing the actual fit of each child's shoe, and - in brief - out of a possible score of 5, the average was 2.1. Not too encouraging.
Not exactly earth shatterin news, but its often helpful to know what patients are reading: How important is proper footwear for children?
Quote:
Today many parents struggle to ensure that their children have proper fitting shoes and find that, for many children, fashion often takes precedence over buying shoes that promote good foot health. From the popular new wave of flip-flops, to athletic shoes needed for sports activities, shoes have become a hot topic for kids and parents alike. As parents, we so often worry about our children’s eyes, teeth, and other parts of the body, that we often overlook the developing feet.
The comfort and support that the shoe offers is important. The body’s feet serve as shock absorbers so proper footwear is important to cushion the load. Improperly fitted shoes can lead to serious foot and/or ankle problems. Commonly encountered problems associated with improperly fitted shoes include bunions, contracted toes, blisters, ingrown toenails, calluses, painful tendonitis, inflammation of the growth centers of the bones, back pain, and even spinal injury.
Spinal injury sounds serious, and it is, because at this point you’ll probably be seeing a podiatrist, orthotist, physical therapist, and chiropractor. Ill fitting footwear may also stunt your newborn/toddlers growth and development as they may be less inclined to walk, crawl, and play, which in itself causes a host of developmental problems. An early intervention physical and occupational therapist may then need to get involved to bring your child up to the age appropriate developmental milestones....<cut>
Shoes damaging children's feet
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