SHOES THAT ARE TOO SMALL RESTRICT MOTION

Podiatry experts at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are encouraging parents to get their children’s school shoes professionally fitted, as new research confirms that ill-fitted footwear can significantly impede foot movement and comfort. In a new study, researchers tested the effect of shoe size on foot motion and comfort among children aged 8 to 12 years, finding that shoes that were one size too small restricted the normal movement of the heel, arch, and big toe joint during walking.

 

Dr. John Arnold

 

Lead researcher and musculoskeletal expert, UniSA’s Dr. John Arnold says that well-fitted school shoes are important for children to feel comfortable at school. “Thousands of school shoes are purchased every year with children wearing them for more than seven hours a day during school,” Dr Arnold says. “Importantly, our research found that when children’s shoes were too small, they restricted foot and joint movements, which could create problems for children’s feet in the future.”

 

Source: Mirage News [1/27/21]


Courtesy of Barry Blocks, editor of PM News