THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 1996 TAG: 9603190032
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY MATTHEW BOWERS, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 93 lines
THE TOE BONE is connected to the foot bone. The foot bone is connected to the ankle bone. The ankle bone is connected to the shin bone. . . .
And when all these bones are very young, they do better in cheap sneakers than a pair of those high-top, white leather, stiff, slippery, hard-soled oxfords seen on many little kids' feet, podiatrists say. Although the white shoes probably bronze better.
``In fact, a child is more likely to fall down with a hard-sole shoe,'' said Dr. Patrick S. Agnew, a Virginia Beach podiatrist who specializes in the care of children's feet.
Flexible shoes are a must, and inexpensive ones are OK, because children grow so fast that they don't usually get a chance to wear them out, Agnew said.
But even soft sneakers won't be kind to Junior's feet if parents don't inspect them. ``People should check, on a regular basis, to see that shoes are not too tight for a child,'' Agnew said.
If shoes are too small, there could be developmental problems: deformed nails and even bones in extreme cases. If they are too big, the kid will trip a lot.
By about age 6, a child should be able to say whether shoes fit.
That's better than many parents, according to a study conducted for Payless ShoeSource, a national self-serve shoe retailer. Its survey showed that:
A quarter of all parents don't know what size shoe their children wear.
Half have never sized their children's feet.
Half rate style and brand name over comfort and fit for their child's shoes.
The American Podiatric Medical Association sees this as a problem. It even joined with Payless to sponsor National Kids Shoe Fit Month last month ``to educate parents about the importance of children's foot care.''
``A child's foot differs significantly from that of an adult,'' said Dr. Bart W. Gastwirth, an APMA spokesman. ``Children's feet are extremely pliable and are not fully formed until they reach their teenage years. Therefore, it is critical that they wear shoes that provide maximum protection and support for their feet.''
Ill-sized shoes aren't a major health problem, but ``it is something I see with some regularity,'' said Dr. W. Scott Wooddell of the Chesapeake Foot and Ankle Center.
``Not always do parents keep a good track on, not always can they keep a good track on, what size shoes their kids are wearing,'' Wooddell said. This is particularly true of adolescents experiencing growth spurts.
Parents should know that shoe size is something to check if their children's feet get sore or develop blisters or ingrown toenails.
But some modern trends help minimize such problems today, Wooddell added. Comfortable sneakers are footwear mainstays. The styles change often, and so the kids change shoes often. And where plain old ``tennis shoes'' once handled everything from tennis to tossing the javelin, now there are specific shoes for virtually every sport.
``Let's face it, kids and teens are buying probably more shoes today than at any time in the past, both as function of fashion and as a function of . .
``Gone are the days, in the past generation or so, when kids handed down shoes over and over, wearing them until they literally fall apart.'' ILLUSTRATION: Graphic
TIPS ON FITTING CHILDREN'S SHOES
Check shoe size every two to three months until child is 3 years
old; children's feet can grow three to four sizes between ages 1 and
2.
Measure by pressing gently on top of foot, which prevents child
from curling toes - shoe should be about one finger width or one
thumb width longer than longest toe; widest part of foot should be
at widest part of shoe. Child should be able to wriggle toes inside
shoe.
Don't depend on the printed shoe sizes, which vary. Try shoes
on.
Check inside shoes for foreign objects or rough edges before
putting them on child.
Have child wear absorbent socks.
Look for stable heels that don't slip or bite into skin while
walking, adequate arch support, flexible ball - the area at the base
of big toe - and top edges that don't rub ankle bones.
Remove child's shoes after vigorous play and look for red spots
or other signs of irritation on feet.
Sometimes take shoes off before play - have children exercise
their feet by walking barefoot where safe, such as on clean grass or
sand.
Sources: American Podiatric Medical Association, Payless
ShoeSource, Dr. Patrick S. Agnew of Virginia Beach.
KEYWORDS: CHILDREN SHOE by CNB