NW Kids

Healthy feet & toes: choosing shoes for new walkers

Kids’ feet grow fast: an infant’s foot will reach almost half its eventual adult length by the end of their first year. Toddlers’ feet grow about one shoe size every three to four months, and their feet will double from their birth size by age 4. Babies are born with their feet wide at the toes, which spread out like a fan. As we grow and begin to wear modern (and perhaps more fashionable) footwear, our foot structure is often altered by shoes which isn’t necessarily healthy for foot development.