Looking after your children’s feet with proper footwear and regular check ups is absolutely essential, as poor foot health and ill-fitting or inappropriate shoes can cause many problems later in life. A child’s foot is not a miniature version of a adults foot – it is wider at the top and made mainly of cartilage during he first few years of life. This means it is soft and pliable and therefore vulnerable to the effects of rigid or ill-fitting shoes. With regular check ups and proper advice on footwear, your child will have better foot health for the rest of their life.
Tracy specializes in Podo-paediatrics - infant foot care and development. She is the research expert for Skeanie and Bobux, two leading brands of childrens footwear and she regularly consults with the design teams to create the healthiest possible shoes for children.
Tracy encourages parents to let their children walk barefoot as often as possible, as this develops the muscles and ligaments in the foot, increases the strength of the foot's arch, improves proprioception and contributes to good posture.
Tracy’s own two young daughters go barefoot as much as possible, and when protection is needed, they wear soft soled shoes that allow for sensory feedback from the ground and plenty of room for natural foot growth.
Tracy is passionate about early prevention of foot problems and offers FREE foot checks for children at her London clinic, Holistic Health in Hackney.
