When it comes to a child's feet, it is so important that the correct shoes are bought from their first pair right through to their teenage years (even though this may be slightly harder to encourage)! Babies feet do not have any bone, they have soft cartilage instead, which means that ill-fitting shoes can easily change the shape of your child's foot if they are too tight.

Here are a few quick tips on how to make sure your child has the best foot health possible:

• Buy shoes that suit the purpose your child needs them for so they provide your child's feet with all the support and durability they require.

• Always buy the correct fitting shoes, ones that are too small or big can cause severe problems.

• Always buy the correct sized socks because tight fitting socks can also lead to deformities and loose fitting ones can cause blisters from rubbing.

• Don't use hand-me-down shoes as the shoes will suit each individual child's feet and will have altered to the previous owners.

• Naturally lined shoes with leather materials and high natural fibre socks allow breathability for your child's feet, which is important for maintaining a healthy foot.

• When it comes to cutting your child's toenails, always cut them straight across, as curved or short toenails can cause ingrowing toenails.

• Encourage your children to tie or buckle their shoes every time they put their shoes on as it can become a habit to force their shoes on but this can damage the back of the shoe.

• Never dry wet shoes in front of direct heat sources, e.g. radiators as this can affect the performance of the shoes. Always dry them naturally in a warm, well ventilated place; you can encourage them to dry quickly by stuffing them with newspaper to absorb any of the excess moisture.

• Use a high-quality polish and clean your child's shoes regularly to keep the leather looking like new as well as supple.