Influence of Children's Foot Type on Their Physical Motor Performance.

BACKGROUND: This cross-sectional study aimed to determine whether normal, flat, or high-arched feet corresponded to better performance of certain motor tests in children.

METHODS: One hundred eighty-seven children (mean ± SD age, 11.15 ± 1.24 years) were recruited and divided into three groups: 96 with normal feet, 54 with high-arched feet, and 37 with low-arched feet. Nine motor trials were selected to assess motor performance: standing long jump, standing triple jump from each foot, standing vertical jump, shuttle run 10 × 5 m, standing-start 20-m sprint, static balance, dynamic balance on a beam of an inverted gym bench, and agility circuit.

RESULTS: There were no significant differences in the trial results between groups, although in eight of the nine trials participants in the high-arched group tended to perform better. Boys performed better than girls in all of the trials except those of balance.

CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that children with a certain foot type did not achieve better motor performance in the nine trials tested.