Katie Holmes — under fire for repeatedly allowing her three-year-old daughter Suri to don kitten-heeled shoes — recently defended the controversial footwear decision while attending a Los Angeles event for the Dizzy Feet Foundation, an organization devoted to helping underprivileged children dance. While Holmes says the shoes, beloved by Suri, are specially designed toddler dancewear with built-in support, doctors have weighed in with medical concerns. Is Holmes being irresponsible?
At Suri's age, wearing heels can damage physical development: If worn too often, high heels can tighten or shorten the Achilles tendon, says New York podiatrist Dr. Oliver Zong, as quoted in Fox News. "Children are growing quickly, and…if the tendon is not growing at the same rate as everything else, it could become a problem." What's more, if Suri's foot shape changes—which can happen to toddler feet "in just one month"—her favorite heels "could damage the growth of her feet."
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