To carry your body through life, the human foot needs to be incredibly strong, delicately sensitive, and firm yet supple.

Did you know that the foot has to take the force of twice your body weight hitting the ground with every step you take.

Did you know that with every mile you walk, you shift approximately 100 tonnes just moving your body weight forward? The human foot has to bear that burden mile after mile after mile.

And, did you know that every year, the average person walks 2,500 miles (the equivalent of walking from New York to San Francisco). The Human foot has to cope with that journey year after year after year

• Helpful tips for new mothers
• The Growing Years
• Tips for shoe fitting

Foot Care for Your Baby:

A baby's foot is not simply a smaller version of an adult's. At birth the 26 bones that will eventually make up the adult foot are mostly cartilage making them pliable and therefore susceptible to damage. To allow your baby's feet to develop naturally without being distorted, always:

• Keep bedclothes loose fitting and light so the feet are not restricted.
• Encourage your baby to exercise its feet by kicking and similar actions. This will help develop the foot muscles.

Foot Care for Your Toddler and Young Child:

• Don't force a child into walking. They will start when ready, which can be anytime between 10 and 18 months.
• Encourage your child to walk barefoot indoors as this allows the foot to develop and strengthen.
• Once walking is established, children are ready for their first shoes. Always ensure that shoes are purchased in a reputable shoe shop, where children's feet are measured and the fit of the shoes is checked by trained Shoe Fitters.
• Inspect your child's feet regularly, at least every bath time, as children often can't feel any damage being done. Look for abnormalities such as cuts, breaks in the skin and any unusual changes in colour or temperature.

Do's and don'ts for new parents

DO..

• wait until your child is on its feet and attempting the first tottering steps before considering buying shoes. Then go to a shop with trained staff who will measure your child's feet for length and width.
• choose shoes that gives stability and protection to feet, which are still soft and vulnerable at this young age. An ideal shoe should be soft and flexible, with breathing leather uppers and a fully adjustable fastening for a snug fit.
• choose a shop that offers shoes in width fittings and half sizes and that has trained staff who can expertly fit them. Less than a third of children are "average" fitting, so foot measurement and correct fitting are vital to a pair of feet.
• take your child back to the shop for a fitting check after about six to eight weeks. Feet grow, on average, two full sizes (18mm) a year until four or five years of age when growth starts to slow down. As this growth is intermittent, regular checks are essential and a good shoe shop will offer these free.

DON'T..

• put young children in socks or babygros that are too small for their feet. This could cause their toes to curl, which can result in permanent damage to the growing bones.
• buy synthetic socks or shoes as they won't allow your child's feet to breathe properly and this could lead to conditions such as athlete's foot. What's more, synthetic materials will only stretch so far, and the resulting pressure could again damage a child's growing foot.

The Need For Correct Shoe Fitting through All The Growing Years

Amongst the countries of Europe, the U.K is at the forefront in understanding the importance of correct shoe fitting and protecting the healthy growth of young feet.

To understand why, this is important, one must first appreciate the vulnerability of the young, growing foot. The foot: infancy to adulthood It will take approximately 18 years for a child's foot to fully develop.

At birth. the foot contains 22 partially developed bones. By school age, this number will increase to 45.

Over the next 13 to 14 years many of these will fuse together to form the 26 bones that make up the mature adult foot.

While most parents recognise the need for correctly fitting shoes during a child's early years of walking life, few realise that children's feet remain vulnerable to ill-fitting shoes right through their school days, up to the age of 18 years or so. It is a concerning fact that many children suffer foot problems by their early teens, often associated with ill-fitting shoes. Yet if parents sustain vigilance throughout the young, growing foot's 18 formative years, the vast majority of children's feet problems will quite simply never occur.

At 6 Months

Foot comprised mostly of cartilage and can be deformed by contsrictive footwear or an all-in one suit.


At 2 Years

Bone structure is developing but there are still large gaps between the bones.


At 8 Years

Second part of phalangeal and metatarsal bones can be seen but they will take a further 10 years, to fuse together. Ill fitting shoes can easily affect this process.


At 18 Years

Bones are now fully formed and hardened with only small gaps between them

Tips for shoe fitting

• When buying a new pair of shoes, the golden rule is to buy what fits, not the size that is written on the boxl.
• The size you think you are is a starting point, a guide, to purchasing your new shoes.
• Your feet will be more swollen by the end of the day, than at the beginning, so make allowances for this.
• Always try the new shoes on in a standing position, rather than sitting down, and walk around in them to ensure they do not slip at the heel. If this happens, go down half a size.
• If half sizes are not available, and you still feel the shoes are a little loose, put a half insole in the forepart of the shoe to help push the foot backwards, enabling the the main joint of the foot to be in the correct position.
• Remember, different brands of shoes, and even different types of leather finish will make a difference on the fit of the shoe. You may need a half size bigger or smaller according to the brand.
• As an adult, you do not need to leave 'growing room' at the toe of the shoe, this is something you can leave behind from childhood. So don't buy shoes too big, as in wear they will probably get even bigger as the leather they are manufactured from will stretch a little with the warmth of the feet.
• If you need wider fitting shoes, ask the Assistant to help by indicating which brands have wider fitting options. From this selection, you should be able to try on several styles and choose the shoes that are most comfortable for your particular foot shape.