It's a common part of childhood, the trip to the shoe shop and your feet being measured. But according to new research conducted by Clarks, there are still four million children in shoes that don't fit them.
Parents who squeeze their child's feet into the wrong-sized shoes could be condemning them to a lifetime of problems. From blisters, pressure sores and ingrowing toe nails in the short-term, to feet deformities like hammer toe and knee and posture problems in the long-term. The list goes on.
People need to take as much care of their children's feet as they do with their teeth, say podiatry professionals. If that's the case, why are so many children in shoes that don't fit?
Neglect, budget constraints, convenience and fashion are all to blame, says Dr Gordon Watt, lecturer in podiatry at Glasgow Caledonian University.
"People think of feet as smelly," he says. "They often just forget about them, when they should actually take much more of an interest."
Children's feet tend to grow rapidly in the first four years of their life, but it can take up to 18 years for the foot's bones, muscles and ligaments to harden into adult form. So teenage feet need to be looked after as well as those of smaller children.
According to the research, one in 10 parents say their children have continued to wear shoes that are too small for them. Half admit to only buying new shoes when their children complain their feet are hurting.
Podiatry experts say many people neglect their children's feet because they simply don't understand the problems an ill-fitting pair of shoes can cause. Only 40% of parents interviewed as part of the research took into account whether the shoes on their offspring's feet were well fitting and supportive.
False economy
Another issue is money. Two fifths of parents admitted to buying shoes that were too big so their children could grow into them over time, saving money. When it came to actually purchasing footwear, a quarter of parents said they based their decision on the cost.
{{ article.title }}