Flat Feet: What to do if your new walker's feet turn inward?

If you have a toddler or a baby who is just starting to walk, you may notice that his feet turn in a little. Often that is because most infants and toddlers do not have a developed arch in their foot.

For years, shoe salesmen tried to convince parents that they should buy shoes to support a newly walking toddler's feet. This often meant an expensive outlay for leather Buster Browns or some other substantial and often costly shoe. We now know that a soft shoe is better. The reason for wearing shoes at all is to protect the feet against foreign and sharp objects on the floor, as well as to provide warmth. Of course, some soft shoes come off within seconds of being put on; toddlers and even infants have an uncanny propensity for removing booties and other soft shoes. However, there are shoes that are more baby proof than others.

What shoes have you found to be best for this age? There are always new products that I love to hear about.

Obviously, since toddlers tend to "toddle," having shoes or booties that are not slippery is important. Bare feet in the home (if the floors are checked for sharp objects first) are fine as well.

As most toddles get older, their feet will gradually develop an arch. However, there are adults who have flat feet, who never develop a substantial arch. The reason for this is genetic, and most times families are aware of "Aunt Nellie" or another family member who had flat feet. Flat feet do not need to be treated unless the patient is suffering from foot pain. Be sure to have a physician examine a painful foot first, as there are all sorts of other reasons feet might hurt. Bone spurs, poor choice of shoes, plantar fasciitis ( an inflammation of the tissues inside the foot), corns, blisters, and bony malformations are just some of the possible causes of foot pain.

Dr. Victoria McEvoy graduated from Harvard Medical School in 1975 and is currently an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at HMS. She is the Medical Director and Chief of Pediatrics at Mass General West Medical Group. She has practiced pediatrics for almost thirty years. She has been married to Earl for thirty six years and raised four children. She currently enjoys writing, traveling, reading, almost all sports, and spending time with her two grandsons.

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