At Little Wanderers we are very aware that all children's feet are unique. So when interested parents want to know when their son or daughter will grow out of their current pair of shoes there can be no exact answer to that question. However, even though all children's feet are different there is a basic growing pattern that they all share.

Children's feet grow and develop gradually and they will only become completely developed by the time they reach adulthood, at about eighteen. How your children's feet are looked after in these developing years has a huge impact on them for the rest of their life.

At the start of the process the foot of a baby only contains cartilage. This fuses together over time to form twenty-six bones and a layer of puppy fat can protect the feet.

It is most common for children to begin taking their first steps and learning to walk between the ages of twelve to eighteen months. However, if they learn earlier or later than this it will not have any impact on their future development. Once your son or daughter is walking there is no rush to get you child their first pair of shoes. Make sure your little girl or boy is confident in their walking. When you are at this stage and you need children's shoes remember that children grow quickly at this age so get their feet measured and checked regularly. We would suggest that you get your children's feet checked at least every ten to twelve weeks. At this age the average rate of growth dictates that you will need to change your children's shoes two or three times in a year and will continue to do so up to school age.

By the time you child has got to five, and their growing has slowed down slightly, they have all twenty-six bones in their feet but each foot is still developing. Making sure their shoes fit properly remains vital and, on average, they will outgrow at least one pair of shoes a year for the next five years. However, remember this is only an average figure and every child will grow at their own rate, which will include growth spurts and time when growing slows down. Still make sure you check your children's shoes and feet regularly, at least every three months, well into their teenage years.