An example of a leather moccasin
Soft soled shoes mimic barefoot - Ponseti feet love to flex and bend and stretch and grow strong through barefoot play!
When baby is learning to walk and after, the best shoes for Ponseti feet are actually no shoes. Barefoot is always best! Even when shoes are needed for a little protection, a shoe that flexes and bends or even better, mimics barefoot like a leather moccasin is best for all clubfeet corrected with the Ponseti Method.
Dr Ponseti always said that babies would grow strong and flexible through barefoot play, which is some of why he didn't bother to recommend stretches.
Leather moccasins are pretty cool, and super inexpensive now. Robeez was the first but they're like $40. There's tons of cool mocs on Amazon for $15 or less.
Soft Soled Baby Shoes pattern and instructions for DIY from Pure Sweet Joy
For when you need something more substantial than just a layer of leather, for when on rocks or other surfaces. Get something that is very soft soled and flexible. A quality supportive shoe is good but not exactly essential all the time. Clubfoot kids can wear sandals and other shoes that aren't technically "supportive" if the situation arises.
There are many shoes that qualify, but basically all you need to do is check if the sole is flexible and soft. Any shoe that you like will do. As always, for all feet, get a good quality shoe, with good support and design. Quality shoes are important for all feet, and good shoes are good for all ages of feet. But for general walking and playing any shoe that strikes you or your child's fancy is fine!
BENDY SOLE!!
It is very common and almost should be expected by every parent to see your clubfoot kiddo's toes curling in when they are new to walking. This is perfectly normal and actually happens for most toddlers when they are first walking. It does seem to be that clubfoot kids do this more often and with more pronounced curving than non-clubfoot children.
The toes have some big jobs to do, and one is to help a human balance and keep upright when walking and running, and standing of course. All this is new to babies who are just learning to balance and walk, and once they gain confidence and stability as a walker they will stop needing to use the toes so much for balance. In most cases this disappears over time.
Before panicking, check the foot when your child is walking.
If you think your child's toes are consistently curved inwards, or they seem to not be gripping, and only curving, this could be that the foot has Metatarsus Adductus. This is sometimes seen as a condition in addition to clubfoot, but it is not exactly common for clubfoot kids.
Meaning, don't expect your clubfoot child to also have MA.
However if you do suspect MA, as always, discuss this with you Ponseti Caregiver.
Keep in mind that MA alone, looks a lot like a relapsed clubfoot. If your child does not have clubfoot, and only shows curving in the mid-foot without any of the other components of clubfoot (Cavus, Adductus, Varus, and Equinus), then it is likely the foot only has MA. If your child has clubfoot, and shows curving in the mid foot, this is suspicious of relapse and is concerning. Talk to your caregiver.
Normal toes gripping when first learning to balance and walk - Right Clubfoot
Normal toes gripping when first learning to balance and walk - Left NON-Clubfoot
The above images show what typical "toes gripping" is like for both a clubfoot and a non-clubfoot. In this case (Kori's daughter Darbi) the non-clubfoot actually appears to have more of a curving than the clubfoot. Normally we see the clubfoot doing the most excessive of this kind of positioning that appears to be similar to Metatarsus Adductus, but actually is simply the normal way babies learn to balance when new to being up and on their feet without hanging onto anything.
Ponseti feet really do well with about any kind of shoe that the child or parents wish to use.
Sometimes a physical therapist will assume that clubfeet need extra support at the ankle and insist that the child wear high top shoes or even straight or reverse last shoes. This is not necessary for most feet, and this recommendation is likely based on training or information about surgically treated feet from the past.
Ponseti Feet are not the same as surgically treated feet and normally do not have the same issues or need for additional support in the same way as surgically treated feet often do.
There is no known typical muscle or joint weakness that is inherrent to clubfeet.
Your child can wear about any shoe you or your child wants to wear. It is always good to get a supportive shoe, but for special occasions or activities any shoe will do. Get pretty shoes! Get cute shoes!! Get silly shoes!! It's really ok to wear any shoe that is sensible.
Not CF friendly, but cute!
Some few feet will need additional support due to having weak muscles or hyper flexibility/mobility, but that is not typical for most Ponseti Feet. This happens in less than 2% of clubfeet.
Try to get flexible soled shoes if possible but if you can't and it's an occasion for something not perfectly good for feet, go ahead and get the shoes you all like.
The only shoes recommended to stay away from are "skate" type shoes that have very thick inflexible soles.
Sometimes straight last or reverse last shoes are recommended for clubfoot kids. There is little basis in this recommendation currently for Ponseti Feet. In the past, surgically treated feet often remained curved or relapsed after surgery and the standard recommendation was to force the foot back over with shoes that didn't allow them to curve inwards in any way. This is what straight or reverse last shoes do.
Many parents were told to put the opposite shoes on their children's feet, which was supposed to be the "same thing" as a reverse last shoe. Except, the arch that is often built up in shoes that are left and right. So, none of this really worked well and all they did was try to force the foot back over into a normal or straight position.
Ponseti feet do not need this, and if they are not straight and fully corrected, they need treatment instead of shoes that force the foot over. That never has worked, and never will work. Re-Casting is the first choice, and other treatments thereafter do not involve shoes. Shoes will not help your child's foot become straight. That never works. Find a doctor who is willing to try to re-correct your child with Ponseti casting before buying special reverse or straight last shoes that are expected to solve any kind of relapse.
Shoes do not correct clubfoot.
