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... unique Your foot has its own particular morphology (size, volume and shape). Foot types are commonly known as either normal, high-arched or flat, but there are an infinite number of combinations of size, volume, and shape. Each foot leaves an absolutely unique footprint. ... changing Your foot changes throughout your life. At 30 you won't have the same feet you had at 20! ... complex Because it's so complex, we don't know exactly how a foot works, and to date we haven't been able to reproduce exactly how the foot moves. In your foot there are 28 bones (between them your feet contain a quarter of the bones in your skeleton), 16 joints, 107 ligaments and 27 muscles. Once their muscle strength starts to diminish, your feet have a tendency to sag, become deformed and absorb fewer shock waves. ... sensitive Your feet support you every day and it is through your feet that you feel a very large number of sensations. They act like sensors that will either have a good or harmful effect on your entire body. ... alive Your foot behaves in a unique way. It reacts constantly to the stresses and strains on it. It constantly varies between pronation and supination. When running, in some cases it can lengthen by up to 1.5 cm. ... your base Your foot is the base of your body. All your weight is supported by a few square centimetres. Your foot acts as a stabilizer, shock-absorber and a booster. It therefore plays an essential role in maintaining your body's balance and well-being. * It will take approximately 18 years for a child's foot to fully develop. * While most parents recognise the need for correctly fitting shoes during a child's early years, few realise that children's feet remain vulnerable to ill-fitting shoes right through their school days, up to the age of 18 years or so. * Many children suffer foot problems from their early teens, often associated with ill-fitting shoes. Foot Care for Your Baby ... - A baby's foot is not simply a smaller version of an adult's. At birth the 26 bones that will eventually make up the adult foot are mostly cartilage making them pliable and therefore susceptible to damage. To allow your baby's feet to develop naturally without being distorted, always:
- Don't force a child into walking. They will start when ready, which can be any time between 10 and 18 months.
Do's and Don't's for New Parents Do... ... wait until your child is on it's feet and taking the first tottering steps before considering buying shoes. Then go to a shop with trained staff who will measure your child's feet for length and width. ... choose shoes that give stability and protection to feet, which are still soft and vulnerable at this young age. An ideal shoe should be soft and flexible, with breathing leather uppers and a fully adjustable fastening for a snug fit. ... take your child back to the shop every 6 to 8 weeks. Feet grow, on average, two full sizes a year until 4 or 5 years of age. Don't... ... put young children in socks or babygros that are too small for their feet. This could cause their toes to curl, which can result in permanent damage to the growing bones. Fascinating Foot Facts The average adult takes in excess of 18,000 steps a day and it's even more for kids. Most feet walk about 70,000 miles in a lifetime- that's four times around the Earth. Around 70% of foot problems come from wearing the wrong footwear or ill-fitting shoes. The majority of these are caused by ill-fitting footwear worn by a child. Over £30 million is spent annually on chiropody services for the over 60's and most of these foot problems can be attributed to ill-fitting shoes or unsuitable footwear during childhood. |