What you should know about kid's feet

Children’s bodies go through extensive development from the moment they’re born until the time they leave the nest. Some changes are more visible and “expensive” than others. The explosive growth of your child’s feet in their first years of life is one such example. This is what you need to know about children’s feet

0-3 years

Children’s feet consist mainly of cartilage during the first few years of life. This turns into bone as the child gets older. The feet move unsteadily, and there’s a great deal of thumping, falling and stumbling as the child learns to walk.

Children’s feet grow by as much as two centimetres a year until they reach the age of two. Eventually, growth slows to about 1.5 centimetres a year.

Children’s feet are small and wide. Moreover, they’re almost flat underneath. Not because your child is flat-footed, but because there’s a natural pad of fat under the foot. It’s also common for children to walk with their legs pointing inwards. The vast majority of children will grow out of this.

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3-7 years

As the child grows, their feet seem to get narrower and narrower, because they grow more in length than in width and because the arch of the foot begins to emerge (making the feet look less “chunky”). The child’s gait is also developing; most children don’t establish their walking pattern until around the age of 7.

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8-12 years

Growth stabilises to an extent during these years, averaging about one centimetre per year. The foot becomes less flexible, too, but the bones in the foot will not normally be fully ossified until around the age of 20.

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As stated above, children’s feet grow very quickly in their first few years of life. So the younger the child, the more room for growth you need to allow for in their shoes. Remember, children rarely speak out if their shoes are too tight, so it’s a good idea to measure their feet every three months. Ideally, measure the child’s feet in the evening after they’ve been active during the day.

Children’s feet should have a little more room for movement in their shoes in winter than in summer. Therefore, allow for 1 centimetre in summer and 1.5 centimetres in winter.

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A child’s foot has as many as 250,000 sweat pores. These can excrete about 0.2 dl of sweat per foot on a busy day. That’s a lot of sweat for one little shoe!

Some of the moisture is released through the upper, but a lot is absorbed by the sock and shoe as well. This creates a rather unpleasant environment if the shoe isn’t breathable, and in winter your child will be more prone to getting cold. Cotton and pure wool retain moisture, making it harder for even the best shoes to keep the feet dry. That’s why you should cover your child’s feet with a technical sock or a wool/synthetic blend sock (for cold conditions).

When choosing shoes, look for something with a GORE-TEX® membrane that allows moisture to escape, and options with a porous midsole that breathes.

Children move A LOT! During the course of a day, they’re often out in all kinds of terrain, even if it’s slippery, steep or muddy. It doesn’t occur to them that their body control isn’t fully developed as yet.

That’s why children’s shoes should be able to withstand a lot of activity, support children as they play and ensure that their feet develop as they should. That said, their job doesn’t end when children get older. That’s because as they get older, their weight increases and so do the demands on their footwear. Their shoes are subjected to heavier loads, and their structure takes on more responsibilities.