Foot Health Month: APMA Urges Better Shoe Fit for Young Athletes

Key facts

In April 2026, the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) is observing National Foot Health Awareness Month under the theme "Today's Podiatrist Keeps Kids Active," directing attention to athletic footwear fit for growing children. The APMA reports that 20% of Americans experience at least one foot problem each year, and young athletes in spring sports carry elevated risk when shoes and socks do not fit correctly. The American Academy of Podiatric Sports Medicine (AAPSM) identifies friction blisters as one of the most common injuries in youth sports, and links them to higher rates of secondary overuse injuries.

• APMA's April 2026 Foot Health Awareness Month campaign theme focuses on keeping children and young athletes active through proper foot care.
• One in five Americans experiences a foot problem each year, per APMA data.
• The AAPSM reports that athletes who sustain friction blisters also show a higher incidence of overuse injuries, including stress fractures, tendonitis, and shin splints.

What it means for parents

For families preparing a child for spring soccer, track, baseball, or lacrosse, the shoe-and-sock combination is the most controllable variable in preventing blisters and foot injuries. The APMA advises parents to shop for athletic shoes in the afternoon, when feet are naturally slightly swollen from normal daily activity. Children should put on both shoes with their actual athletic socks, tie the laces, and walk around for several minutes before any purchasing decision is made. The correct fit leaves roughly one finger's width of space between the tip of the shoe and the end of the longest toe, with the heel held snugly in place.

The sock itself is not a passive layer. The AAPSM recommends socks constructed with flat-knit toe seams and a Y-heel design, which follows the contour of the heel and reduces bunching at the back of the foot. A sock that is too tight binds the toes; one that is too loose develops wrinkles inside the shoe that act as friction points. Both lead to blisters, and the AAPSM notes that once a blister develops, young athletes often adjust their gait or stride to avoid the pain, increasing stress on other parts of the foot and lower leg.

Background and context

Children's feet are anatomically distinct from adult feet throughout most of childhood. The growth plates, zones of developing cartilage near the ends of bones, do not fully harden until mid-adolescence, making them more vulnerable to repetitive athletic stress than the surrounding tendons and ligaments. This is why conditions such as Sever's disease, an inflammation of the heel's growth plate, appear almost exclusively in active children between ages 8 and 14. The APMA notes that active preteens are especially susceptible to these overuse conditions, and that properly fitting footwear is one of the most practical steps parents can take each season, not just at back-to-school time.

The research underpinning footwear guidance for children is still developing. A 2025 rapid scoping review published in the journal Healthcare, led by researchers at Southeast Technological University in Ireland, found that clinical guidelines for children's footwear vary widely across governmental and professional sources, with no consensus on how to define or measure an optimal fit. The review, covering studies published between 1970 and 2024, concluded that parents and clinicians alike face real difficulty finding consistent, evidence-based recommendations. That gap makes APMA's recurring seasonal guidance, reinforced by podiatric sports medicine specialists, one of the more accessible and reliable references available to families navigating a spring gear check.

Takeaway

Spring sports season is a natural prompt to reassess fit. Shoes bought last fall may be half a size too small by April, and socks that once fit well can develop worn seams or loosened fabric that increases friction over the course of a game or practice. A five-minute check, with athletic socks on and laces tied, can catch problems before they become blisters, and blisters before they become something worse. For children with sensory sensitivities, a seamless-toe sock construction also removes one of the most consistent sources of in-shoe discomfort during prolonged athletic activity.