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Sport-Specific Shoes What you should know. Playing Sports Advice for Parents Sports play a significant role in millions of American Problems noticed at birth will not always disappear Children’s Sport Physical Requirements Possible Injuries Shoe Attributes children’s lives, whether on a team or played as by themselves. You should not wait until the child individuals. Parents should be mindful of sports that begins walking to take care of a problem you’ve  Basketball Running Ankle sprains Thick, stiff sole require a substantial amount of running and turning, or noticed earlier. It is best to take action when the Foot Health   Jumping Plantar fasciitis High ankle support involve contact. These can easily translate into injuries. child is a toddler to ensure better responsiveness to   Tendinitis Shock absorption Protective taping of the ankles is often necessary to conservative treatment options. prevent sprains or fractures. Parents should consider Remember that lack of complaint by a Tennis  Ankle sprains Support on both Shifting of weight discussing these matters with their family podiatric youngster is not a reliable sign. The bones of Plantar fasciitis sides of the foot physician if they have children participating in active growing feet are so flexible that they can be Corns/calluses Flexible soles sports. Sports-related foot and ankle injuries become twisted and distorted without the child being  Running Leg extension Shin splints Shock absorption common as children increase their activities in sports. aware of it. Force on the heel and the Heel pain Motion control ball of the foot Blisters Flexibility Walking is the best of all foot exercises, Arch pain or Room for orthotics according to podiatric physicians. They also plantar fasciitis recommend that walking patterns be carefully observed. Does the child toe in or out or have Soccer Running Heel pain Multiple cleats in Lateral movement Shin splints the heel area knock knees or other gait abnormalities? Jumping Enough room for These problems can be corrected if they are detected early. thick soccer socks Doctors of podiatric medicine are physicians and surgeons With the exception of infancy, going barefoot qualified by their education and training to diagnose and treat Heel pain is one of the most common complaints is not encouraged among children. Walking conditions affecting the foot, ankle, and where appropriate, leg muscle, tissues and bones of the leg. Podiatrists are the among growing children who play sports. Physical barefoot on dirty pavements exposes Take the 1, 2, 3 Test Correct Incorrect only doctors to receive specialized medical training and board activity, particularly jumping or activities requiring children’s feet to a variety of dangers certification solely in the lower extremity care. The preparatory cleats, irritates the growth centers of the heels and is including sprains, fractures and infection from education of most Doctors of Podiatric Medicine (DPMs) painful with side-to-side pressure. Reducing activities, wounds. Another potential problem is plantar includes four years of undergraduate work, followed by four Look for a stiff heel cup. years in an accredited podiatric medical school, followed by a immobilization and orthotics are often needed to warts, a condition caused by a virus that Press on both sides of the heel hospital-based residency. DPMs are licensed in all 50 states, 1. resolve the episodes of pain. Heel pain can also be invades the sole of the foot through cuts and counter. It shouldn’t collapse. the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. As with all qualified caused by foot type, and your podiatric physician will breaks in the skin. They require extensive healthcare professionals, podiatrists should be credentialed to be able to determine proper treatment. treatment and can keep children from school perform services for which their education, training, and Correct Incorrect and other activities. experience have qualified them to provide to their patients in Don’t Forget the Socks! the same manner as their allopathic colleagues. Check toe flexibility. Without the right sock, even the best athletic shoe Be careful about applying home remedies to 1-800-FOOTCARE 2. The shoe should bend with your won’t score points on or off the field. children’s feet. Preparations strong enough to American Podiatric Medical Association child’s toes. It shouldn’t be too If your child exhibits signs of hyperhydrosis kill certain types of fungus can harm the skin. stiff or bend too much in the (excess sweating) or bromhydrosis (foot 9312 Old Georgetown Road toe box area. odor), selection of the appropriate athletic sock Bethesda, MD 20814 may reduce incidences of these conditions. www.apma.org Select a shoe that’s rigid in Correct Incorrect the middle. The right athletic sock should: *3. Sponsored by Does your shoe twist? Your shoe Be made of a natural/synthetic blend, as should never twist in the middle. this helps “wick” away moisture best.

*Step three does not apply to toddlers’ shoes. Not contain any large seams that can cause blisters or irritation. For toddlers, shoes should be as flexible as possible. www.apma.org APMA_Adjusted_Size:Layout 1 6/5/12 10:21 AM Page 2

Children’s Shoe Shopping Guide hether it is a W precious baby’s Here are some suggestions to help ensure Walking Warning Signs an APMA podiatric physician can prescribe more first steps or a Cut along the dotted line and keep as a reference. normal development: Once your baby is on the move, assess your child’s aggressive treatment options such as a cast or brace. Five shoe-buying tips for children: quick-maneuvering walking pattern or gait. It is not uncommon for little metatarsus adductus, a bending of the foot inward at As a child’s feet continue to develop, it may be teenager’s winning Look carefully at your baby’s feet. If you notice ones to walk on their toes. However, persistent the instep resembling the letter “C,” is also prevalent necessary to change their shoe and sock size every Take your child shoe shopping. something that does not look normal to you, toe-walking is not normal. An APMA podiatric among early walkers. Tripping is also a warning sign of soccer goal, healthy feet few months to allow room for the feet to grow. It’s important to have your child’s contact an APMA podiatric physician. Many physician can examine a child to make a proper MTA. In addition, parents need to pay close attention and sure-footedness Although foot problems result mainly from injury, feet measured before buying shoes. deformities will not correct themselves if diagnosis and determine the best treatment option. to their child’s foot formation and walking pattern. An 1. hereditary factors, deformity or illness, improper Every shoe fits differently. Letting a make milestones in a left untreated. Abnormal walking, including toe-walking, can lead to APMA podiatric physician can diagnose and treat MTA footwear can aggravate pre-existing conditions. child’s life possible. foot and ankle problems later in life. Flat footedness with serial casting and in more severe cases, surgery. child have a say in the shoe-buying Keep your baby’s feet unrestricted. No shoes beyond the early years can lead to bunions, process promotes healthy foot Starting at birth, paying or booties are necessary for infants. These can Before parents invest in a new pair of children’s hammertoes, heel pain and tendon problems. Children Since not all children habits down the road. close attention to your restrict movement and can inhibit toes and footwear, some foot factors need to be considered: with a family history of foot problems should see a are quick to tell their feet from normal development. little one’s feet from proper podiatric physician once the child begins walking to parents when they Shoes that don’t fit properly can aggravate grooming to gait will ensure Provide an opportunity for exercising the feet. ensure the feet are developing normally. are experiencing Shop for shoes later the feet. Always measure a child’s feet before a solid foundation as your Lying uncovered enables the baby to kick and foot pain, parents in the day. Feet tend should pay attention buying shoes and fit the shoe to the foot. 2. youngster grows. After all, perform other related motions that prepare to swell during the day; the feet for weight bearing. to unspoken signs it’s best to be fitted Never hand down footwear. Just because a their feet are meant to last such as a child’s while they are larger. a lifetime! Change the baby’s position several times a limping, tripping, shoe size fits one child comfortably doesn’t mean it day. Lying too long in one spot can put taking their shoes off will fit another the same way. Sharing shoes can excessive strain on the feet and legs. Be sure frequently or spread fungi like athlete’s foot and nail fungus. to limit how much time your baby spends unevenly worn In-toeing Buy shoes that do not need a standing in an activity center to no more than Watch for signs of irritation. Redness is a sure Your Baby’s Feet footwear. The feet of 3. “break-in” period. Shoes should 15 minutes at a time. young children may be unstable, which can make sign that a shoe is too tight or too loose. If your be comfortable immediately. The human foot—one of the most walking difficult or uncomfortable. A thorough child always wants to remove one or both of their complicated parts of the body—has 26 bones, Baby’s First Shoes examination by an APMA podiatric physician may shoes, this may be an unspoken sign that the shoes including an intricate system of ligaments, It is ill-advised to force a child to walk. When physically detect an underlying defect or condition, which may don’t fit properly. muscles, blood vessels and nerves. Because and mentally ready, the child will walk. Comparisons Toe-walking require immediate treatment or consultation with Always buy for the larger Examine the heels. When children begin to show the feet of young children are soft and with other children are misleading, since the age for Other common childhood walking irregularities include another specialist. To find a podiatrist in your area, foot. Feet are seldom in-toeing, they may wear through the heels of their 4. pliable, abnormal body forces can independent walking ranges from 10 to 18 months. in-toeing and metatarsus adductus (MTA). visit www.apma.org. precisely the same size. shoes much quicker than outgrowing the shoes cause deformities. In-toeing occurs when one or both feet point toward the themselves. Uneven heel wear can indicate a foot When a baby first begins to walk, shoes are not other due to a rotation in the foot, leg, thigh or hip. problem that should be checked by a podiatrist. A child’s feet grow rapidly during the necessary indoors. As a toddler, walking barefoot allows Often children will sit on their legs in a W-shaped the youngster’s foot to grow normally and to develop first year. For this reason, podiatric position. This can also cause feet to point inward. Have your child try its musculature and strength, as well as the grasping physicians, also known as Excessive tripping, like many walking irregularities, can on shoes with socks action of toes. Of course, when walking outside or on 5. often reveal a more serious condition such as in-toeing. or tights, if that’s podiatrists, consider this period rough surfaces, babies’ feet should be protected in to be the most critical stage of Ways to combat in-toeing at home include having the how they’ll be worn. lightweight, flexible footwear made of natural materials. child stand in ballet’s first position with heels touching the foot’s development. and feet pointing outward, as well as sitting with legs “crisscrossed.” Since it should never be assumed that a child will grow out of a foot condition such as in-toeing,

Metatarsus Adductus