While toe walking is normal for periods during early walking, toe walking that persists greater than six months from mastery of walking could cause issues as a child develops. We don’t know why some children persist with toe walking.
Often, a child will have shortening of their heel cords, because they don’t stretch out when they walk. This tightness increases as a child grows. To compensate, they may turn their feet out, and start to stand and walk with their heels down.

If a child walks on their toes, it can lead to changes in their foot structure due to abnormal forces from landing on their forefoot. This in combination with heel cord tightness can lead to foot and knee pain as an adult.
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