Did you know that children’s feet are by no means scaled-down adult feet? They are something special and are characterised by the fact that they are still very soft and easily deformable. Familiarise yourself with their special needs: POLOLO would like to provide information and suggestions in a loose sequence – this article is dedicated to the impressive growth of little feet. All data are average values, because growth is an individual process.
Impressive growth of about three shoe sizes in one year
The baby foot with all its cartilage/bones, ligaments, muscles and various joints and tendons, which together ensure the mobility of the foot, develops rapidly. It grows much faster than the other parts of the body – the growth is up to two centimetres per year, which corresponds to about three shoe sizes. After birth, the little feet grow in short episodic intervals and reach half of the final foot length in infancy.
Maturing feet can take until early adulthood
From the age of five until puberty, the feet grow by an average of about one centimetre per year. Anyone who buys shoes on growth now should remember that shoes must always fit, i.e. really be worn at the right time! Incidentally, it can take until early adulthood for feet to fully mature.
The learning-to-walk phase: an adventure for parents and children alike
Learning to walk is a fundamental experience for everyone: It requires a lot of endurance and motivation to get back up after every fall, even if it hurts. The little ones conquer a larger world step by step. To this end, disturbances, obstacles and sources of danger should be recognised in advance and kept as far away as possible. This phase is exciting for your children and for you in many ways: And this adventure should be experienced with joy!
Protecting foot health starts at babyhood
For the little ones, it is an incentive to develop normally, and you will also be reminded that – in order to stay healthy – humans need regular exercise under their own steam. Experts estimate that about 98 percent of all people are lucky enough to be born with healthy feet. But only about 40 percent of adults today are considered to have healthy feet. This clear difference underlines how important it is to help children’s feet grow undisturbed and mature healthily!
POLOLO Graphic: An overview of what is special about children's feet
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