The Arch of the Foot : Essential Element For Our Walk
This part of our foot, called foot arch, is composed of a bone structure supported by osteoarticular, ligamentary and muscular elements of the foot. Let’s take together the time to discover its usefulness and the wise advice of our experts to accompany at best the walk of your child.
What is the arch of the foot for ?
According to the UFSP (French Union for Foot Health), « the arch of the foot is a complex system essential to our static and our locomotion ». It is thanks to its adaptability and its absorption that it will allow the foot to ensure a good transmission of the body’s weight to the ground.
During our walk, the foot will work in an automatic way. When we set the foot on the floor, the arch will deform to adapt to all the unevenness of the ground thanks to its changes of curvature and of elasticity ; and will flatten to absorb the load. It acts like a true shock absorber essential to the flexibility of the walk.
The dysfunctions of the foot arch
The arch of the foot is an essential element for our walk. It is more or less pronounced depending on the person. Because of its functions essential to the walk, a little pronounced arch or even a complete absence reduce its roles of adaptability, of damping, of propulsion and energy. Thus, this can lead to a slight inclination, muscle pain or osteoarticular disorders in the lower limbs because of the unabsorbed mechanical stresses. On the contrary, a too pronounced arch of the foot can make the walk more unstable because the foot is usually stiff. Those dysfunctions are identifiable thanks to a painless examination performed by the podiatrist.
Our first-steps models certified by the podiatrists
As first-steps’ expert, we work in exclusive partnership with the french podiatrists, gathered within the UFSP. Our models recommended by those health professionals are examined by a committee of the UFSP which follow a list of many specific technical features. One of those features concerns the arch of the foot.
According to the UFSP, preference must be given to first-steps shoes without arch. Indeed, at birth, the foot of the baby is flat. Actually, he has a fat pad which disappear with walking. An artificial arch hinders the muscle development. That is why our models approved by the podiatrists have a flat sole without arch for a natural muscle development of the internal foot arch.
