Why children shouldn’t wear sneaker often —Experts

When children are allowed to wear shoes whose front tips curve upward at the front, what is known as the toe springs, it may make walking more comfortable and energetically efficient.  But, ensuring that your children wear a range of footwear to minimise the negative effect any specific shoe design might have overtime is no doubt more important.

Experts say that they may feel comfortable but warned that wearing modern shoes that curve upwards at the front be it gym shoes, sports shoes, sneakers or whatever it is called, all the time could increase susceptibility to foot problems in adulthood.

They said there is the possibility that their long term use may weaken the foot muscles and increase the risk of foot problems like the collapsed arch and plantar fasciitis. Plantar fasciitis occurs where the band of tissue that supports the arch of the foot becomes inflamed, resulting in intense or stabbing pain in the heels and arches. It is difficult to repair.

This curvature, known as a “toe spring,” is a common feature of many shoes, especially trainers. It helps the front part of the foot to roll forward when walking or running, enhancing the comfort of thick and cushioned soles. But despite their ubiquity, the effect of toe springs on our foot function and vulnerability of the feet to injury had not been well studied, until now.

Shoes are necessary, as they shield from stresses in our environment, such as exposure to random objects, such as twigs or glass that may inflict cuts or bruises. They also keep our feet warm and dry. But, Dr Richard Omoyeni, a consultant orthopedic and trauma surgeon at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, said appropriate shoes and type for each age group is important for their foot development.

He stated that where such shoes as those with toe spring take over part of the foot muscle functions directly can weaken it and over time, there might be loss of muscle.

“It is natural. Some people to go to the gymnasium to build up their muscles; because the muscles are made to do a lot more than usual, they become bigger and stronger. The opposite happens when a muscle or a group of muscles is not used. Then it begins to reduce in bulk and strength.

“So, in a child, the foot muscle will not develop as it should. Well, it is okay if it is just one of the shoes the child wears, sometimes for sporting activities to help the child to perform more efficiently. There is nothing wrong. But such shoes shouldn’t be a regular daily wear for children.”

Dr Omoyeni said shoes for children should be flat, well balanced and not be tight.

According to him, “It shouldn’t be a shoe that springs off the child as the child walks. For instance, in a child that is still learning to walk, it may even affect the gait.  You will want the child to learn how to walk naturally.”

He warned that when children get used to wearing shoes with toe springs, they might have difficult wearing other normal shoes and sandals. They will easily feel pain or tired when walking or running because their foot muscles have not been subjected to such stress before without such shoes.

“It happens, not only with shoes but anything that you do that is been enhanced by one support or the other,” he added.

Researchers at the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany had used cameras and sensors to measure forces on the feet of 13 healthy volunteers ranging in age from 19 years to 33 years with an average weight of 74 kilogrammes and an average height of 182 cm. It was published in the journal Scientific Reports.

All participants were healthy at the start of the study and had no injuries. The participants were asked to walk on a treadmill barefoot and then in four pairs of custom-made sandals with varying degrees of toe-spring angles.

Each pair of these sandals had a toe spring curvature of 10 degrees, 20 degrees, 30 degrees or 40 degrees. The researchers chose to use sandals rather than shoes because of their relative ease of construction and they allowed them to place detailed marker sets on the feet of the participants.

The new study published in Scientific Reports found that the varying degrees of the toe springs did not have any significant effect on arch stiffness. Also, the greater the upwards curvature, the less work the muscles of the foot had to do to walk, jog or run.

The researchers suggested that since the foot has to do much less work to make forward movement or propulsion possible, its endurance is likely to lessen with increased or prolonged use of shoes with toe springs. This, they said, is likely to lead to deforming or painful foot-related problems like plantar fasciitis.

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