Shoes alter how children walk and run - a research study revealed that children walk faster in shoes, taking langer steps with greater ankle and knee motion, while reducing motion within the actual foot.
Shoe wearers have narrower, less flexible feet and poorer distribution of pressure, compared to barefoot people. While we are not going to stop wearing shoes, children should be encouraged to be barefoot as much as possible, and opt for footwear that resembles wearting no shoes as much as possible. The bones of the feet are very malleable (i.e. can be altered) until the early teenage years, and will grow to fit the space in which they are confined.
Avoid: Shoes with stiff soles which do not allow natural movement, preventing the big toe from flexing, and limiting the range of movement in the ankle, lower leg and rear foot. Rigid-soled shoes will likely produce narrow, weak and inflexible feet.
Choose: Light, flat, thin-soled, flexible footwear with space for toes to wiggle about. Soles should be as thin and tough as possible - enough to be puncture resistant but still allow your child to feel the variety of terrain underfoot, which will help develop strength and coordination. You should be able to bend the shoe in half: if you can't, it's too rigid and will limit movement. Shoes should be really flat from heel to toe, as any heel height affects natural, correct posture.
Look at your child's feet. When standing, a strong, healthy foot will have a separation between the big toe and the rest of the toes. The big toe will also readily 'root' into the ground for stability.
Encourage barefoot activity where possible - dancing, gymnastics, martial arts - as well as diverse movement and sports. Standing on tiptoe is great for building strength, coordination and letting the foot find its own internal support for balancing. Children should also be able to lift their big toes up independantly of the other toes, which helps develop coordination.
Wiltshire Times feature, 5 September 2014
