08/29/2025
Baby is learning to stand because she has the magic of a hard sole & ankle support keeping her Achilles tendon around a 90 degree angle. Add a neutral subtalar joint and a properly supported midtarsal joint. All the while foot muscles are reacting appropriately to weight shifting anteriorly (forwards & backwards)
A neutral subtalar joint (controlled by the calcaneus) and a properly supported midtarsal joint are essential to help our babies develop “pretty functional feet”
I just completed my serial casting course with and the wonderful Billi Cusick. I love that on her website she has:
“While popular opinion favors having young children wear no foot attire, for the child with overpronated feet this opinion is a fallacy.
Overpronation imposes faulty inner forefoot loading and demands related compensatory adjustments in the leg muscles and body to stay upright. With no knowledge of more age-appropriate alignment, these routine compensatory experiences are perceived by the child with overpronation as “normal”.
…
“Caregivers must offer proper footwear to go with the heel seats, which means shoes with a sturdy heel box, a firm, flat sole, support for the mid-feet. No soft, flimsy slippers, sandals, Crocs™ or Jellies.”
Billi Cusick from the progaitways website
Did you also know that a tight heel cord (Achilles tendon) will cause the foot to pronate at the subtalar & forefoot joints of the foot? forefoot pronation, where the navicular bone wants to kiss the floor, happens in order to get the range of motion needed for the heel to go towards the ground. We can see this same deformity with low tone as well. Either way we must support the calcaneus and forefoot to help loading and weight bearing through the calcaneus.
What is your experience with supporting infants learning to walk with the necessary orthotics, shoes etc?