From birth, all parts of the body are in the growth stage. The feet will also change in different periods.

Birth period (0-6 months)

• The baby’s foot structure is not mature at birth, and there is no hard bone structure, mainly cartilage tissue that cannot support the body’s weight.
• The foot is composed of 22 bones, wrapped in subcutaneous tissue and fat to protect the underdeveloped foot bones.
• The length of the five toes is about the same, and the arch of the foot has not yet appeared at this stage.

Crawling period (7-10 months)

Baby crawling needs to raise and turn the head left and right. It also needs the strength of the shoulders and wrists to support the entire upper body, so it is helpful to strengthen the joints of BB’s hands, feet, and neck, and strengthen the bones of the abdomen, neck, and limbs. The joints and small muscles are exercised, which can promote bone growth, strengthen physical strength, and lay the foundation for future movements.

Semester (11-18 months)

• When the baby crawls for a sufficient period of time, when the development of the mind, muscles, and nerves is mature, the baby will stand, and continue to take the first step in his/their life. Most babies will know how to walk between 9-18 months of age.
• Since young children start to learn to walk, their lower limbs begin to adapt to bear the weight of the body, and the knees will take an O shape at this stage.
• Babies who are beginners usually have penguin-like gait.
• Appropriate learning shoe design should make the baby’s feet have a feeling of grip when wearing it, not only protect the feet but also ensure that they will not hinder them from learning to walk.
• It is not recommended that parents buy a learning car to help their children learn to walk faster. A university study in 1999 pointed out that infants who often use learning vehicles are less physically and mentally than those who do not use learning vehicles. As long as parents provide proper assistance and encourage babies to try hard by themselves, they will walk on their own.

Stable period (19-36 months)

• At this stage, walking becomes more stable, and the time for the feet to bear the weight of the body increases accordingly.
• The soles of young children will have a thick layer of fat covering their arches, which is called “false flat feet”. In addition, there will be more obvious hindfoot valgus and X-shaped legs.
• In terms of the choice of footwear, it is recommended that the heel of the shoe should be strong to support the heel, and the material of the upper should also have high air permeability (such as the use of microfiber, cowhide, etc.) to reduce the chance of fungal infection. The shoes should be wide enough to allow the toes to move between the rooms.

Foot shape change period (3-5 years old)

• In children at this stage, the fat layer on the soles of the feet gradually absorbs and disappears, and the arches of the feet begin to appear. At the same time, the angle of the hindfoot valgus and the X-shaped leg began to decrease.
• At this stage, parents will notice that children sometimes become unstable when running. One of the reasons is that the X-shaped legs collide with each other on the inner sides of the knee joints.
• In the selection of insoles, in addition to having a proper arch curvature, attention should also be paid to the hardness of the insoles. Generally speaking, the arch-supporting insoles used for daily walking is harder, while the insole materials used for sports are more elastic, providing a good cushioning ability for the sole structure of the foot.
• In order to allow the healthy growth of children’s bone structure, parents are advised to choose the mid-tube design to strengthen the control of the heel, which helps reduce the deviation of the valgus and X-shaped legs.

<Orthopedic’s little TIPS> Children’s feet are still in the developmental stage. If there are foot shape problems such as flat feet, in addition to wearing orthopedic shoe rests/insoles, more foot muscle strengthening exercises are also encouraged to stimulate the growth of foot/sole muscles. Adding fun through games is a good way to keep children willing to exercise.

Steady growth period (6 years old or above)

• The structure of the feet and knees of children 6 years of age or older should be similar to that of adults.
• The X-shaped leg phenomenon has disappeared, and there should be about the width of one finger between the knee joints.
• At this stage, it is easier to distinguish whether children have flat feet and X-shaped feet, and other form deviations. This is also the golden period for foot correction and prevention of form deviations.
• It is recommended that parents bring their children to relevant professionals for foot examinations. If children have obvious flat feet problems, they may need to order customized insoles to correct them to prevent the deviation from worsening in the future.