Children's Shoes Are Too Small and Causing Deformities, a New Study Finds

A new study of 250 children in Switzerland presented by the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) found that a vast majority of young children are wearing shoes that are too small, increasing the risk of foot deformities. "The most striking finding was that more than 90 percent of children's shoes were too small," says Norman Espinosa, MD an orthopaedic surgeon at the University of Zurich. Overly-tight shoes are the leading cause of Hallux Valgus, a condition that occurs when the big toe begins to angle sideways in the direction of the second toe, causing a bump or bunion on the side of the foot.