Between 3 and 13 per cent of kids have flat feet and the condition is more common in younger children. In fact, some degree of flat footedness that reduces with age is considered normal up until around the age of eight or nine.

The typically flat-footed child has what’s known as a flexible flat foot, where the arch is present but disappears when the foot bears weight. When this is associated with symptoms such as pain or disability, treatment should be offered, Evans says.

The debate surrounds those cases where children have no symptoms – this is the most common scenario – and whether to treat them ‘just in case’ problems develop down the track.

Evans suggests symptomless flat feet that are assessed as being purely developmental should be left alone.

On the other hand, children without symptoms and feet flatter than you would expect for their age need monitoring over time “to see which way they are heading”. Red flags could be changes in foot posture and other measurements, along with issues like a family history of problematic flat feet.