News : Shoe grows as children do

Apr 9 - After studying the pitter-patter of tiny feet for two years, German scientists have come up with a "growing shoe" for children.

German scientists have examined the movement of more than 10,000 pairs of young feet to help develop what they call the world's first "growing shoe".

Using sensors taped to children's toes and using computer models to measure bone movement as they ran and walked, researchers gained a deep understanding of how feet grow, at what rate and what range of movement young feet need.

The University of Potsdam team says that seven out of 10 children wear shoes that are too big, so the child's foot slides when they take a step leading to development problems.

Parents often buy larger shoes for children because they think they will "grow into them". The child may tense or bend their toes to keep the shoe on -- which can cause problems as feet develop.

The scientists teamed up with German company Ricosta to develop the new shoe, which consists of different layers of sophisticated insoles. The growing shoe should go on sale later this year. The development costs means it's expected to be priced between 70 and 80 euros (USD$92 to USD$105).

Despite its high cost, for parents it might just take some of the pain out of frequent trips to the shoe shop to cater for rapidly growing feet.

(SOUNDBITE) (German) HEAD OF THE RESEARCH TEAM AT THE CENTRE FOR SPORTS MEDICINE AT POTSDAM UNIVERSITY, STEFFEN MUELLER: "The idea is that we wanted to make a children's shoe that grows with the foot and we wanted to make it more transparent so that it is easier for parents and children to know if a shoe fits or not. And we wanted to make a shoe that kids can grow into, but isn't too big at the start so the foot doesn't slop around. Instead we wanted the foot to be well supported in the shoe and to be able to grow into it."

(SOUNDBITE) (German) RICOSTA CO-MANAGER,JOERG ERTl: "The idea is that you buy a shoe, which is basically a shell, and two insoles. For example one insole fits a size 33 and the other one a size 32. If the child now wears a size 32, you put the bigger insole in. When the child grows out of it, you put the other insole in, so it corresponds to a size 33."

"Shoes that are too large are just as damaging as shoes that are too small and so these insoles are supposed to work as a solution to the problem."