13/04/2026
We came across this infographic last week thanks to
This details out APMA's 'guidelines for choosing a children's shoe'.
Unfortunately though, it seems like their guidelines are carrying very outdated information.
-Their first recommendation was a stiff heel counter. This is designed to limit movement, but kids don't need these sort of stability features for their flexible flat feet. Not to mention heel counters increase the overall weight of the shoe.
- Their second recommendation was the shoe should flex at the forefoot. Yes this is technically true, but often shoes are so thick through the midsole that most shoes aren't flexible enough. We don't want a kids foot to have to fight the shoe to get that flexibility.
- Their final point is probably to me the most shocking, especially for kids recommendations. They recommended a RIGID MIDSOLE. Yes, you read that right. Rigid. They even had the audacity to state that "Your shoe should never twist in the middle". I'm sorry, but kids feet are meant to move!!! We don't have bricks for feet, so why should we wear shoes that promote NO MOVEMENT. Kids shoes need the complete opposite of this recommendation. The more the shoe can bend and twist, the better!!!
So what do we recommend for kids shoes. Well, to be quite frank, the complete opposite of this infographic. A shoe that protects normal development and is as close to barefoot as possible is what we will recommend for the vast majority of kids we see in the clinic.
Thankfully on further investigating, this infographic is no longer on their website, but its still out there to be found
