My son is almost 4. A few weeks ago, he started complaining that his feet hurt. We took him to Stride Rite and got his feet measured. His shoes still fit, but only just, so we got a pair a 1/2 size larger. Within 2 weeks, he was saying his feet hurt again. I checked his shoes and they are big enough but not too big. I asked him to show me where it is sore and he rubbed the arch of his foot.
I started looking at all different brands of shoes, but they all seem flat in the insole. I am wondering about orthotic arch support insoles, but I am not sure if they are a good idea at this age.
Anyone else have a similar problem with shoes? Any brand recommendations?
My son also has had really flat feet and our pediatrician referred us to Scottish Rite hospital for further evaluation. Especially, since your son is complaining of pain you should talk to your pediatrician and see what recommendation is made. Scottish Rite is fantastic and only deals with orthopedic issues....it might save you a bunch of money before you purchase orthotics which aren't cheap.
I'm not sure what brand he is wearing now, but with my experience, NIKE's have a more defined arch. This is true in adult shoes, so I am not sure about kids shoes.
I just took my 7 year old to the podiatrist. He has been complaining for pain for years, and this is the second time around we visit a doctor for this. The first time he was 4 and the doctor said that he had flexible flatfoot and that he will outgrow the problem by age 6, he didnt and its causing him to bend his right foot outwards a little bit. He now has to wear orthopedics and they are expensive (around $500). According to the doctor, the inserts do not correct the problem but will help him stand in the correct position and prevent him from developing other ptoblems or deformations in his feet.
I say: take him to the podiatrist just to be sure. It is better if you find a problem in the early stages than later.
Oh, and about the shoes, I just learned that if you take the shoe from heel and toe and apply pressure the shoe should bend NOT from the middle but from just before the toes, just like how the bend when you walk in your tip toes. If the shoe bends from the middle it does not offer good support to the arch. Asics and New Balance are good brands for tennis shoes.
Good luck.
A.
Hi there,
I just read an article about arch pain in Parenting. In the article they actually discouraged parents from buying arch supports, stiff shoes, etc. unless recommended by doctor because it can actually lead to MORE issues. I don't know if this article is on line at parenting.com or if you can grab the latest copy from a girlfriend or neighbor but could certainly be worth reading. A very small number of childern, per the article, really have foot issues. In a nutshell the article shared that if your child's shoe sole is being worn out significantly more on the inside (near the arch) then it is worth investigating.
I do not know how good any of the sites are but just sharing what I found. You can read them and decide for yourself.
Here is a link about kids' feet:
http://www.unshod.org/pfbc/swc5.htm#Avoid%20Arch-support%...
And here is a blog that seems to be about kids in general and this link out feet: http://moxie.blogs.com/askmoxie/2006/07/qa_toddler_shoe.html
That seems like it needs to be addressed with his doctor, but a funny story to share...
When my husband was a little boy, he complained about his feet all the time. So his mom took him to the best place she could find to buy his shoes. They would measure, buy the shoes, get home, wear the shoes once and he would complain terribly again!! She was upset with him, thinking he was lying. Then, FINALLY, they measured his feet again, this time BOTH feet! They were only measuring his right foot, and his left foot was A WHOLE SIZE BIGGER!! For years, he suffered! Now he will not let her forget about it!!
So, maybe try measuring both feet in length and width.
Foot pain is so miserable!
Best wishes!
I do believe that barefoot is best, but if you must use a shoe, a flexible sole is very important. All the shoes I buy for my toddler are either Preschoolians (at preschoolians.com) or See Kai Run's (seekairun.com). They tend to be on the expensive side, as any good shoe will be, but they're worth it. I actually buy most of mine on ebay, though, if you buy the shoes from preschoolians, they have some of the best customer service I've seen- they'll replace any shoe that doesn't hold up or you're not satisfied with. Besides being flexible, the Preschoolians have a little see-through window at the toe to check the fit of the shoe.
He seems young to have hurting feet. Have you checked with his pediatrician for recommendations on what to do?
My first thought is that he's got to stand on these feet for the rest of his life, so I'd do whatever is neessary to make sure they develop properly. I know that custom insoles, etc. for adults are pretty expensive. Not sure what it would be for kids, but certainly pay close attention to your insurance coverage.
