When your child is born, one of the first things you'll notice is their perfect little hands and feet. Soon those hands will be grasping your finger, surprisingly tightly. And next they'll be pulling themselves up on your lap and trying to stand on those tiny feet.

Even at this stage it's important to consider their footwear carefully. Babies' feet don't have bones, but soft cartilage which can easily be pushed out of shape by badly fitting shoes. Even socks that are too tight can damage their feet at this delicate stage.

A foot has 26 bones, 19 muscles and over 100 ligaments, which can take up to eighteen years to harden to adult form. But even before they start walking, babies' feet need protection and support, and at each stage of their development, they have different needs. This part of the web site is dedicated to giving you all the information you need to make the right foot care choices.