Generally, it takes about 5 months to break or
outgrow a pair of shoes.
Muscles grow, bones solidify. As stated
before, it has been my experience to give
most kids 3/8 to 5/8” toe space, which allows
room to grow and flexibility to develop
muscle strength and balance. Children with
a foot posture that limits their activity are a
different story. We will need to provide a more
structured, firm soled, supportive type of shoe.
Bare feet are a part of the development…
it is up to us to offer protection from the
cold, harsh, flat world we live in. Splinters,
sharp rocks, slippery floors, wooden steps.
These hard, flat surfaces take their toll….
and with much less barefoot on soft uneven
surfaces available than when their parents
and grandparents were young. This flat
environment accelerates the degradation of the
feet.
Obesity works the muscles of the feet harder
making it more difficult to move around. This
increases muscle weakness in the feet and
body.
Youth sports and sport shoes can create
damage with tight shoes and unyielding
playing surfaces. Not to mention the
stresses of twisting, turning, sprinting,
running, and stopping.
So...
“What shoe is best for this
child’s feet?”
This should start quite a conversation,
don’t you think?
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Current Pedorthics July/August 2016
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