02 Feb 🤨Have you been told that your child needs high cut boots to help them learn to walk, yet they don’t seem to help?

Some Paediatric Physiotherapists may recommend high-cut boots as first walkers shoes to help toddlers learn to walk, because they believe that high cut boots provide additional support and stability to the ankles and feet which in turn will help a child to learn to walk. However, parents will report that their child will not tolerate the high cut boots and therefore would not wear them.

Here at My Favourite Physio, our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists 🤓do not recommend high cut boots as first walkers shoes for toddlers for the following 3 reasons:

🥾1. High cut boots are generally heavier than trainers and toddlers who are not yet walking usually struggle to lift the boots up to take steps. If the toddler manages to lift up the boots up, they are unable to bend the thick stiff soles to walk with a heel strike, foot flat and push off walking pattern. As a result, the toddler has a stomping gait pattern, where they lift the shoes and stomps with each step.

🥾2. High cut boots restrict a toddler’s ankles and do not allow them to move easily from sitting to crawling to pulling to stand and walking. So instead of helping your toddler progress in their gross motor skills, you might find your little one regressing and stopping crawling altogether when you put high cut boots on them.

🥾3. High cut boots often have thick, stiff soles which have a strong friction grip on the ground making it harder for a toddler to turn quickly without falling over their high cut boots. Together with the restriction to the ankles, it is not uncommon for us to see little toddlers who have fallen over while wearing high cut boots, sustain a greenstick fracture in their shin bones.

So if you are concerned about your child’s foot posture or gross motor skills, ring My Favourite Physio 📱on (02) 9790 4233 or DM us @myfavouritephysio to speak to one of our Expert Paediatric Physiotherapists 🤓 today! Let us help your toddler walk today! 😊

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