Many parents notice their child walking on tiptoe, heels barely touching the ground, and wonder whether it’ll sort itself out. In most cases it does: children who toe walk on both feet with no medical cause, known as idiopathic toe walking, usually settle into a normal heel-to-toe gait by about age 10.
What matters more than age is whether your child can still get their heels flat, and whether there’s pain, toe walking on one side only, tight calf muscles or Achilles tendons, or frequent tripping or falls. Those signs tell you whether simply watching is fine or a proper assessment is the better next step.
In This Article
- Will they grow out of it: What a Swedish study found about how many children stop toe walking on their own by age 10.
- Signs worth getting checked: The red flags, like heels that won’t sit flat or toe walking on one side, that mean it’s time for an assessment.
- What the podiatrist checks: How we test ankle movement, calf tightness and walking pattern, and what happens once the assessment is done.
- Treatment and the evidence: From home stretches and gait plates to casting, and why treatment is matched to your child’s actual problem, not their age.
- Help close to home: How families in Rosanna and Melbourne’s north-east can get toe walking checked, and what the appointment involves.
Will My Child Grow Out of Toe Walking?
Hearing “they’ll grow out of it” for a few years can start to feel like a brush-off, but for most children it’s backed by research. A Swedish study of 1,401 children found around 5% of healthy kids toe walk at some stage, and by age 10 four in five had stopped on their own, without developing ankle stiffness.
That outlook applies to idiopathic toe walking, meaning toe walking on both feet with no underlying medical cause, which often runs in families, so you may spot it in a parent or sibling too.
The same study found a small group whose ankles were already stiff early on, and the researchers treat that as a separate problem, a short Achilles tendon, that’s better managed early in childhood. So the useful question isn’t how old your child is, but whether they can still get their heels flat.
A 2024 UK consensus of children’s orthopaedic surgeons and physiotherapists agreed that toe walking without pain or ankle stiffness doesn’t need treatment. You can do a quick version of the heel check at home (see the FAQ below), and it’s the first thing we test in clinic.
When Is Toe Walking Worth Getting Checked?
For many Victorian families, the first prompt comes from the Maternal and Child Health 3.5-year check, a kinder teacher or your GP. In my experience, it’s wise to follow this up calmly rather than dismiss it, because an early assessment gives you a clear baseline to compare against later.
The Royal Children’s Hospital Melbourne lists these red flags as reasons for further referral:
& Can’t stand with heels flat on the ground or walk on their heels
& Toe walking on one side only
& Enlarged calf muscles
& Frequent tripping and falling
& Signs of an underlying nerve or muscle condition
A toe walking assessment is also worthwhile if there’s foot or leg pain or the way your child walks is affecting their confidence or play, and it doesn’t automatically mean treatment.
Toe walking that hangs on is more common in children with developmental differences such as autism or ADHD, and the Swedish researchers found these were common among children still toe walking at 10. Because one in 20 otherwise healthy children toe walk too, it isn’t a reason to assume anything more on its own, so mention any other developmental concerns when you book and we’ll look at the whole picture.
What Does a Toe Walking Podiatrist Check?
When families see a toe walking podiatrist in Rosanna, we start with a thorough history: your child’s developmental milestones, whether toe walking runs in the family, and anything kinder or school staff have noticed.
From there, a biomechanical assessment for children typically looks at four things:
- Ankle range of motion: We check whether your child’s heels can rest flat and how far the ankle bends upwards (dorsiflexion), with the knee both straight and bent.
- Calf muscles: One calf muscle (gastrocnemius) crosses the knee and the other (soleus) doesn’t, so comparing those two positions shows which one is tight. We also check strength and whether the calves look enlarged.
- Walking pattern: We complete a children’s gait assessment in our Rosanna clinic, often using video, so you can see exactly how each foot meets the ground.
- Balance and neurological signs: We note frequent trips or falls, one-sided toe walking or changes in reflexes, as these may point to an underlying cause.
Once the assessment’s done, we’ll explain what we found and whether monitoring, treatment or a referral to another health professional makes most sense. If anything suggests a nerve, muscle or developmental cause, we’ll say so plainly and suggest you see your GP rather than guess.
Toe Walking Treatment and What the Evidence Says
If treatment is suggested, it’ll usually aim to ease pain or ankle stiffness, or to support your child’s confidence and play, rather than simply change how they walk.
Options range from calf stretches and strengthening at home, to supportive shoes and stiff full-length insoles called gait plates, through to casting, night splints or a referral to a paediatrician or orthopaedic surgeon. Which one fits depends on whether the problem is mainly habit or a genuinely stiff ankle, and that’s what the assessment tells us.
Honest answers matter here, because a 2019 Cochrane review found just four small trials (104 children in total) and said the evidence was too weak to draw conclusions about any treatment. So rather than open-ended treatment, we agree a clear goal and a timeframe with you, and change course if it isn’t being met.
Calf Stretches and Strengthening at Home
When the calf muscles and Achilles tendon are tight, it’s physically harder for a child to bring their heels to the ground. That’s why gentle stretching and strengthening at home is often the first step, and the Royal Children’s Hospital fact sheet notes that daily calf stretches may help.
Simple toe walking exercises families can start with include:
- Wall stretch: Hands on the wall, one foot stepped back with the heel flat, held for 30 seconds. Repeat with the back knee bent to reach the deeper calf muscle.
- Heel walking: A “penguin walk” race down the hallway works the muscles at the front of the shin.
- Flat-heeled squats: Have your child squat with their heels down while playing with toys on the floor.
- Step stretch: With your child holding the rail, let their heels lower gently off the bottom stair.
- Balance games: Standing on one leg, or walking heel-to-toe along a line, forwards or backwards.
Keep sessions short, playful and part of the daily routine, stop if your child reports pain, and pair them with the right footwear or orthotics for toe walking where needed.
Shoes, Insoles and Gait Plates
Alongside stretches, the shoes your child wears every day can quietly influence their walking pattern. Supportive shoes for children who toe walk typically have:
- A firm heel counter to hold the heel securely in place
- A supportive sole that resists excessive bending
- A secure fastening, such as laces or Velcro
Thongs and soft, flexible shoes aren’t thought to cause toe walking, but they give little resistance to a child who likes being up on their toes. Gait plates, stiff full-length insoles worn inside the shoe, are used to encourage a heel-first step, possibly through extra stability and feedback along the whole sole.
In a small Australian trial of 15 children, rigid full-length insoles worn inside high-top boots increased heel contact straight away. Whether that lasts long term isn’t yet known, so we treat footwear as one part of a plan rather than a fix on its own.
Casting, Night Splints and Referral Options
If stretching and footwear haven’t improved your child’s toe walking, or their ankles have become stiff, we may discuss options that aim to restore ankle dorsiflexion, the ankle’s ability to bend the foot up towards the shin.
- Serial casting: A series of below-knee casts, changed over several weeks, gradually lengthens tight calf muscles and the Achilles tendon.
- Night splints: A brace worn during sleep that holds the ankle in a gentle stretch to help keep the range gained.
- Paediatrician referral: We may recommend this to rule out neurological, muscular or developmental causes of toe walking.
- Orthopaedic surgeon referral: Generally considered when ankle stiffness persists despite non-surgical treatment.
The 2024 UK consensus suggests agreeing a goal up front, such as heels flat after about six weeks of casting, and seeking a surgical opinion if that goal isn’t reached. With so little trial evidence behind any option, as the Cochrane review found, that goal-and-review approach is what stops months of treatment that isn’t working.
Whether you’re looking for a toe walking podiatrist near Greensborough or help closer to Preston, we’ll explain each option clearly and decide the next step together.
Toe Walking Help in Rosanna and Melbourne’s North-East
If your Maternal and Child Health nurse, kinder teacher or school has raised your child’s toe walking, a local assessment can give you a clear answer without travelling far.
Bellevue Podiatry, at 8 Bellevue Avenue, Rosanna, sees children from Heidelberg, Ivanhoe, Macleod, Viewbank, Watsonia, Preston, Bulleen, Greensborough, Montmorency and Lower Plenty.
Many young children walk on their toes while they’re learning, and that’s a normal part of development. Most have settled into a heel-to-toe pattern by about age two, so toe walking well past that, or alongside other concerns, is worth having looked at.
The appointment is relaxed and hands-on: we watch your child walk and run, gently check their feet, calves and ankles, and look at how toe walking affects their balance, play and everyday activities. Many children treat it like a game, which helps us see how they really move.
Whether you’ve noticed a toddler walking on their toes or an older child who’s kept the habit, you’ll leave knowing what’s going on and which options, if any, make sense.
We’ll also tell you if a referral to your GP or a paediatrician is worth considering.
Frequently Asked Questions
Should I Keep Reminding My Child to Put Their Heels Down?
In most cases, constant reminders aren’t needed. In practice, frequent prompting rarely shifts a toe walking habit on its own and can leave your child feeling self-conscious, which may dent their confidence and enjoyment of play.
An occasional, gentle reminder is perfectly fine.
What matters more is whether your child is physically able to bring their heels down when asked.
What Can I Check at Home?
Ask your child to stand with both heels flat on the floor and their body upright, then walk a few steps on their heels. These are the same quick checks the Royal Children’s Hospital suggests GPs use before deciding on referral.
If they can do both comfortably, it usually means there’s enough flexibility in the calf muscles and Achilles tendons for now.
It’s worth having their feet, calves and gait (walking pattern) assessed if they can’t do either, if they toe walk on one side only, or if they trip or fall a lot.
An assessment helps us identify any muscle tightness, joint restriction or other underlying cause early. From there, we can suggest management that suits your child.
Did I Cause My Child’s Toe Walking by Using a Baby Walker?
Probably not: there’s little research on baby walkers and toe walking, but idiopathic toe walking commonly runs in families, which points away from anything you did.
“Idiopathic” simply means no medical cause can be found, so this isn’t something to feel responsible for. The more useful thing to check now is whether their heels can rest flat, since that tells you more than how it started.
Do I Need a GP Referral to See a Podiatrist About Toe Walking?
No, you don’t need a GP referral to see a podiatrist about toe walking. You can book directly online or call us on (03) 9457 2336.
Many families come to us after a kinder teacher, Maternal and Child Health nurse or GP raises it, but noticing it yourself is reason enough to have it checked.
If anything needs a closer look, we’ll let you know, and your GP can refer you to a paediatrician for further investigation.
Does Going Barefoot or Wearing Thongs Make Toe Walking Worse?
There’s no strong evidence that going barefoot or wearing thongs causes toe walking or makes it worse. Parents often worry about this, but footwear alone isn’t considered a main cause.
For most children, barefoot play is fine, and walking on varied surfaces lets the feet move naturally and build strength.
Why Podiatrists Still Talk About Footwear
Even though footwear isn’t thought to cause toe walking, the right shoes can be part of a management plan. Supportive shoes, and sometimes stiff full-length insoles called gait plates, may help your child settle into a heel-first walking pattern.
They’re tailored to your child and usually used alongside other strategies rather than as a standalone fix.
When to Have Your Child Assessed
If you’re unsure whether your child’s walking needs attention, a podiatry assessment can give you clarity. At Bellevue Podiatry, we look at your child’s feet, calf muscles and gait to understand what’s behind their toe walking.
This is general information only and doesn’t replace an individual assessment of your child.
How Can I Prepare My Child for Their First Podiatry Appointment?
Keep it simple and reassuring: tell your child they’ll meet a friendly podiatrist who’ll watch them walk and check their feet and legs. Calling it a relaxed check-up helps ease nerves and lets us see how they naturally move.
To help with the gait assessment, please bring:
- Shorts for your child to wear, so we can clearly see their knees, calves and ankles
- The shoes they wear most days, as wear patterns offer useful clinical clues
- Notes on when you first noticed the toe walking and whether it runs in the family
- Any observations from kinder, school or your Maternal and Child Health nurse
- A short home video of your child walking barefoot
The video is especially useful because children often walk differently in an unfamiliar clinic. Seeing their usual movement at home gives us a truer picture of their walking pattern.
Conclusion
If your child’s toe walking has you worried, take heart: about four in five idiopathic toe walkers in the Swedish study had stopped by age 10. Not every child does, though, and heels that won’t sit flat, one-sided toe walking, tight calves or frequent tripping are better assessed than met with a wait-and-see approach.
At Bellevue Podiatry, we help families from Rosanna, Heidelberg, Watsonia, Ivanhoe and nearby suburbs work out where their child stands, with an evidence-based approach that’s honest about what research can and can’t tell us. Book an assessment online or call (03) 9457 2336, and we’ll help you decide whether to watch, treat or refer.
Will They Grow Out of It?
A one-minute heel check you can do at home — plus what the research says, the signs worth acting on, and what treatment actually involves.
