Gait Plates for Kids – Improve Your Child’s Foot Posture and Walking Gait

Have you noticed that your child’s feet point inward instead of straight ahead? Is your child tripping and falling often? Many children diagnosed with in-toeing are told by their medical professionals that their condition will resolve on its own. In some cases, it does, but in many instances, it doesn’t. Gait plate orthotics for kids can encourage the outward rotation of the feet, which can be really effective in helping improve your child’s foot posture and walking gait.

Gait Plates for Kids: Who Can Benefit?

Children who exhibit signs of in-toeing, flat feet, or other gait abnormalities can benefit from gait plates. These orthotic devices can be particularly beneficial during the developmental years when the bones and muscles are still forming and are more receptive to corrective measures.

Gait plates are orthotic devices made of a rigid or semi-rigid plastic shell that covers the plantar area, with an extension beyond the fourth and fifth metatarsal heads.

When gait plates are fitted inside the correct pair of shoes, they can help correct foot posture and improve gait appearance in children.

Will Gait Plates Fix Your Child’s In-Toeing?

The first seven years of a child’s life are their “golden years of treatment opportunity”. During these years permanent structural changes of the foot and lower extremity may be relatively easily obtained with treatments such as orthotics, supportive shoes, and therapeutic exercises. Proactive measures, such as using gait plates and ensuring proper shoe fit, can lead to significant improvements and prevent issues later in life.

Gait plates are particularly effective for addressing in-toeing. By repositioning the foot, gait plates can help the child develop a more typical walking pattern, reducing the risk of related issues such as tripping or discomfort.

It’s important to note that results can vary depending on factors such as the severity of the in-toeing and the child’s overall health and development.

What Makes the Gait Plates that I Recommend Effective for In-Toeing?

The gait plates that I recommend encourage realignment of the hip in gait by providing a deep heel cup, medial rearfoot posting and skive. These features help reduce in-toeing, improve hip and lower extremity strength, and in many instances create a straighter, more normal gait.

How Early Should Parents Treat In-Toeing?

This really depends on the age of the child and the severity of the condition. Remember that your goal should be to make sure that the gait function of the child is optimized. I suggest that you ask your podiatrist whether your child might be ready to wear gait plates.

Best Gait Plates for Kids to Improve Posture and Stability

These gait plate orthotics provide an affordable alternative to custom orthoses and encourage the feet to turn outward and straighten.

What Gait Plate Size Should You Order?

The size chart below shows what gait plate size to order based on your child’s shoe size:

Are Gait Plates a Cosmetic Fix or a Functional Change?

I believe that gait plates provide a functional change. Your child’s foot might point inwards when going barefoot, but when wearing supportive shoes and gait plates that changes things substantially by putting the feet in a straighter position.

I like to make the analogy that gait plates and supportive shoes are like glasses for bad eyes. Wearing glasses won’t cure your eyes, but it will make you see better and function normally. Gait plates are like glasses for your child’s feet.

My Bonus Resource: Shoes That Work Well with Gait Plates

The shoes and the orthotics work together to help treat and prevent your child’s out-toeing condition. Shoes need to provide enough space to fit the orthotic comfortably while offering adequate support and flexibility.

The correct types of shoes can enhance the effectiveness of gait plates, ensuring that the child remains comfortable and supported throughout their daily activities.

My Final Thoughts

Many families are frustrated as they are told that “in-toeing is a normal variant and that the child will eventually grow out of it”. In-toeing is one of the most common gait disorders in children, but this doesn’t mean that it should be left untreated. If this walking pattern is left untreated it might create a biomechanical imbalance which might be difficult to correct in adulthood.

I strongly suggest that you get a second opinion when you are told that there is nothing that you can do but wait for your child’s condition to resolve on its own. As with every other field, there are some medical professionals who are more experienced or might have different approaches than others.

It is essential to have a proper evaluation by a healthcare professional, such as a podiatrist, to determine if gait plates are the right intervention for your child. Physical therapy using gentle stretching and strengthening is often part of the treatment plan too.