Out-toeing is a health condition where the feet point or turn outwards when walking or running.

Also referred to as being ‘duck-footed’, out-toeing can affect people of all ages—starting in childhood but causing more issues as time goes on.

While it is possible for children to grow out of out-toeing, this isn’t guaranteed. If you have any concerns about your child’s feet and lower limb development, we can perform a comprehensive assessment and provide proactive advice and guidance—so you can set your child up to live their best life.

With decades of expertise, our friendly team offers both paediatric podiatry services as well as podiatry assessments for adults who may also be concerned about out-toeing. Long-term out-toeing commonly leads to problems with knees and hips in adulthood.

Signs and symptoms of out-toeing

Common signs and symptoms of out-toeing include:

• The feet, lower legs, shins, and / or thighs appear to be turning outwards (away from each other) when walking or running
• Foot, leg, hip, and / or joint pain
• Frequent or increased tripping
• Unusual gait

When to see a podiatrist

• If you are concerned or worried about out-toeing and want a professional diagnosis and treatment plan
• If it’s getting in the way of normal movement or physical activity
• If you are noticing any foot or ankle pain
• If your child is showing signs of out-toeing—it is best to get onto this early to avoid long-term issues

With a focus on personalised and preventative podiatry care, we can help address out-toeing for children and adults.

In addition to a physical examination and discussing symptoms, our skilled podiatrists can perform gait and postural analyses to identify the root causes of out-toeing.

Treatment strategies will depend on individual diagnoses, but often include:

• Soft, custom orthotics for superior support (e.g. for flat feet, which can be an underlying cause of out-toeing) and to help correct poor foot posture
• Footwear education
• Strengthening and stretching programs

Worried about out-toeing? Our podiatrists in Adelaide can help. Call our team at Rose Park Podiatry on 08 8338 0622 or book online today.