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Home › Articles › Development › Happy Feet

Happy Feet

Dispelling the Myths of Flat Feet

By Kelly Burgess

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"Before about age 3 or 4, and even to age 7, as long as the child is not complaining of pain, is on track developmentally and is participating normally in activities, there's nothing to be concerned about," Dr. Thomas says.

Treating Flat Feet
For flexible flat feet, no treatment or correction is necessary. The only real concern (a concern with the price of shoes today, anyway!) is that sometimes children will walk with their toes pointed in to help keep their balance, which causes shoes to wear out quickly and unevenly. To avoid this, says Dr. Vince Mosca, chief at the Foot and Ankle Clinic at Children's Hospital and Regional Medical Center in Seattle, Wash., a parent's best bet is to purchase inexpensive arch supports at the drug store to help stabilize the foot.

"In some kids with flexible flat feet, their muscles work harder to stabilize them and their feet will sometimes ache," Dr. Mosca says. "They can benefit from arch supports."

Although there always has been a debate of bare feet versus shoes in toddlers, Dr. Thomas says that it doesn't make any difference. Shoes should probably be worn outside just to protect the foot in general, but what's more important than the shod/unshod question is the fit of the shoe. An ill-fitting shoe, Dr. Thomas says, can cause more problems than flat feet. This is advice that Mobley also passes on to parents that shop at her store.

"Our shoes tend to be more expensive because we're a shoe boutique for children, but it's more important to get a good fit than anything," Mobley says. "Even if it's clear to me that a parent may not be able to afford the shoes I'm showing them, I do like to give them some tips on how to fit their child even if they are going elsewhere."


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