A guide for parents about intoeing

Why is my child intoeing?

All children walk in different ways. Intoeing is a normal variation. This type of walking pattern is most commonly noticed in children who walk early and can be associated with being clumsy as your child may literally trip over their own feet. This pattern of walking is often seen in other members of the family as well.

What is the treatment?

No treatment is needed as the growth pattern is normal. The intoeing self corrects in most children by the time they are seven or eight-years-old, sometimes even sooner.

What if the intoeing is causing my child to trip?

Intoeing can often be a problem for young children as they are still finding their feet. Even if the intoeing pattern does not change your child’s balance will become better. With this improved balance your child will become less clumsy.

Supportive footwear can help to give your child more balance but they will not need this long term as they will naturally improve. The more ankle support they have the steadier they will be, similar to having boots on when you are ice-skating. Look for a pair of boots or shoes, which have firm stiffening around the heel. It is also useful to have lace-up shoes or high Velcro straps as these can be tightened to give added support.

Trainers are great and don’t need to be expensive, just do a squeeze test around the back of the heel. The firmer the heel area is, the more support the shoe or trainer will give.

What if my child does not outgrow the intoeing?

A small percentage of children do not outgrow their intoeing pattern, this is still normal. The intoeing will not stop them from being able to run around. Research has even shown that it improves short distance running speeds in some people. Intoeing does not cause long-term clumsiness or other medical problems and therefore does not need to be corrected.