If the whole world were all soft earth covered with a carpet of grass and leaves, there would be no need for shoes. However, since the modern-day world in which we live is, in large part, paved with hard, unforgiving concrete and littered with sharp remnants of glass and the like, the foot needs protection from injury. Although the adult shoe has changed from being a protective covering to becoming a status symbol, the child s shoe has remained in its basic role - protecting the foot from the hazards of the outside world. However, there is a great deal of confusion regarding the choice of appropriate shoes for children with normal feet. Not only is there difference in opinion between each group of practitioners, but marked differences occur among members of the same group.
Shoes are necessary to promote foot development .
In other words, normal children s feet need support, otherwise they will become flat. Recent studies seem to contradict this. Feet deformities, like bunions and hammer toes are very rare among primitive people who wear no shoes, in contrast to advanced cultures, where such deformities are commonly seen. These deformities were not found in children who had not worn shoes. The incidence of hallux valgus, hallux rigidus, incurved fifth toe, hammertoe, and a host of other foot and toe deformities was much higher in the shoe-wearing population.