An Initial Consultation will take approximately 45 minutes (a little longer than the time taken for a General Consultation). Your podiatrist may need to conduct a thorough taking of your child’s medical history as well as gaining all the information about the presenting complaint. In some cases the consultation may involve reviewing of any previous diagnostic tests such as x-rays or MRIs. Your podiatrist may also wish to review your child’s footwear and any additional correspondence from medical practitioners.

Dependent on the presentation, the initial consultation will typically include preliminary treatment such as in-shoe padding, strapping, nail care, education etc. Some children may be required to return for additional treatment or a Biomechanical Gait Assessment. Patients may also be referred for imaging (x-ray or MRI) or for the purchase of prescribed footwear prior to returning for follow-up appointments.

It is best to bring anything with you that you believe relates to your child’s presenting issue, as it will considerably assist your podiatrist in providing you with the most accurate diagnosis and treatment. You should bring any diagnostic test results (x-ray, MRI, blood test results etc), which may relate to their complaint. We also suggest that you bring your child’s 2 most frequently worn pairs of shoes, as the wear pattern of these may provide your podiatrist with a lot of information. So, whether you think it is important or not, bring it just in case!

We allow 45-50 mins for an Initial Consultation. This is the most comprehensive consultation as is includes a routine medical history taking in addition to obtaining the history of the complaint and then the undertaking of the assessment itself. There can be a lot of information which the podiatrist will discuss at this consultation so feel free to bring along a partner/friend or even take notes to help you digest things!

Following an initial consultation, your podiatrist may suggest that your child undertake a biomechanical consultation (gait assessment) for further diagnostics. This consultation is an extensive physical examination of the child’s lower limbs and how they function throughout gait (whilst they are walking). The consultation may also include footwear modifications, moulding for orthotics, and stretching and strengthening exercises of the lower limb, if deemed necessary.

At Little Big Feet, patient education is our priority, so we will always ensure that you and your child are well equip with all the information and education that you require in order to get the most out of your consultation.

All major Australian health funds cover podiatry services; provided that you have this included in your child’s cover, you will receive rebate from your fund. Our clinic has HICAPS available for on the spot claiming, so there is no messy back and forth between your podiatrist and your health fund! We recommend you contact your health fund to review your eligibility for rebate on Podiatry Services prior to your consultation.

Costs will vary dependent on the type of consultation and treatment that your child receives. Please contact one of our friendly receptionists for a personalised quotation.

If you are covered by a private health fund, our receptionists can provide you with your individual service item numbers so that your health fund can advise you of your rebates and out of pocket expenses.

Medicare will cover some, but not all patients for Podiatric Services. As a part of the Enhanced Primary Care (EPC) Program, Medicare will only provide podiatry cover to a select few patients with long standing chronic conditions such as diabetes, cardio-vascular disease, chronic arthritis and a handful of other diseases that will significantly affect one's feet and lower limbs and thus their ability to care for them. If you think your child qualifies for an EPC plan, please speak to your GP to discuss their eligibility. 

Yes. All of our podiatrists are experienced professionals with recognised tertiary training, having completed a 4-year bachelor degree in Podiatry at a recognised Australian University at a minimum.

Principal Podiatrist Jason McLellan is QLD's first and only Certified Paediatric Podiatrist (awarded by the Australasian Podiatry Council). He works closely with our team of Podiatrists to ensure the best possible outcomes for patients. 

At Little Big Feet, we strongly encourage on-going education and each of our podiatrists is a member of the Australian Podiatry Association (QLD) and are either accredited or in the process of becoming Accredited Podiatrists. Each podiatrist is a registered service provider in the state of QLD.

No, you will not need a referral. Going to the Podiatrist is just like going to the Dentist. You will only need a referral if you wish to have your costs covered by Workcover or Medicare (Enhanced Primary Care Program). 

Orthotics will only be prescribed if deemed necessary by your podiatrist following a thorough Biomechanical Assessment and Initial Consultation. Put simply, Orthotics are in-shoe devices used for the treatment of certain foot, leg and biomechanical abnormalities. Most commonly, they are used to alter the alignment of the lower limb(s) in order to change the way in which the limbs function, which may in turn reduce or eliminate the presenting symptomology. 

No. You’re welcome to come down at any time during our opening hours to try on / purchase shoes. You will be correctly measured and fitted, regardless of whether you have an appointment. A Podiatry Appointment is only necessary if you have concerns about your child’s feet and would like a full consultation (this will include assessment and measurements of the lower limbs and take approximately 45mins).

You will need to call your health fund to see if they will cover you for shoes fitted by a Podiatrist. Because different funds will recognize different item numbers, we don’t claim on the spot for footwear - only for services made during a consultation. If you do have cover for footwear (such as bonus cover), you will simply need to pay at the time of purchase and we will give you a receipt and letter from our podiatrist so that you can claim your rebate with your fund.

Generally yes. Whilst we have at least one fully qualified Podiatrist on staff at all times there is a chance that they may be with a patient when you are trying on shoes. If this is the case, it shouldn’t be much of a wait before the Podiatrist is able to pop out and check the fitting. All of our retail staff are either fully qualified Podiatrists or at a minimum final-year Podiatry Students.

Listen to your child and choose a shoe which they say they're comfortable in. Whilst it is imperative that the shoe is a good fit/feel, it is important that your child is comfortable and likes the shoes, other wise they just won't wear them!

To assist in checking the fit of the shoe, check out our 6 Point Fit Guide. 

If you're unsure and live locally - drop in-store! Nothing beats a proper measure and fit. We'll happily take the hard work out of it for you, by having Podiatrists fit your child's shoes. You can find our details on our contact page.

We suggest choosing a shoe that is breathable and made from natural fibres. Shoes which are leather lined and leather upper are a good example. Natural fibres always confirm to the foot better as well as being less smelly. Avoid synthetic materials where possible, however there are some good man-made materials nowadays that are anti-microbial, thus reducing the smell. We suggest wearing 100% cotton socks inside all enclosed shoes to soak up the sweaty feet and reduce the bad odour.

More often than not, children will outgrow their shoes before they outwear them (especially good quality shoes). Here is a rough guide to how long a child's shoes will last based upon growth: 

Under 2 years: approximately 3-5 months. At this age we recommend only approx 5mm growth room whilst the children are still developing their gait. 

2 - 5 years: approximately 6 months. Typically children aged between 2 and 5 years will go up one shoe size twice per year. 

5+ years: by the time children are Primary school age, their sizing will last approx 9-12 months, when allowing for a thumbs-width (10-12mm) growth room at the time of purchase. 

When you first receive your shoes, we suggest ensuring the correct fit by trying them on inside the house on clean flooring to avoid any wear marks on the soles. Should your shoes not be the correct size or fit (or not quite what you expected), please email info@littlebigfeet.com.au (stating your full name and order number) and we can assist you with the return process. LBF must be contacted via email prior to the return of any goods. 

We are happy to provide a credit, refund (excluding shipping) or exchange within 14 days of the original purchase date. Shoes must be unworn (as new condition with no signs of the soles being worn outside) and in original packaging. 

LBF is not liable for any loss of an item being returned and we suggest returning by registered mail. Returns can be made in-person or by post to: 

ATTN: Returns C/O Little Big Feet: 1/661 Oxley Road CORINDA QLD 4075

Sale items are heavily reduced and are often end of line products. As such all Sale items are final, and no return, credit or exchange is possible on these. 

Faulty items will be assessed by our Podiatrists and sent to our manufacturer for credit/exchange if within 3 months of the purchase date.  We suggest emailing images of the shoes to info@littlebigfeet.com.au so that we can view the fault and reduce the time that you are without the shoes. 

Whilst we try our hardest to get orders out ASAP, some months (particularly January) can be especially busy so please allow up to 48 hours for your order to be fulfilled. Once the courier has your parcel, your approximate delivery times are as follows: 

• Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane: 1-3 Business days
• Adelaide 2-4 Business days 
• Perth and Tasmania: 5-7 Business days 
• Regional hubs (eg. Woollongong, Gold Coast and Geelong): 2-4 Business days 
• Remote regional areas can take longer for delivery 

Our shipping is based upon volumetric weight, and as you know some shoe boxes can be quite large!

We offer FREE shipping on all orders over $150. Your discount will be applied automatically during checkout.

For anything less than $150, shipping costs start at $8 and go up incrementally based upon weight. This will be calculated for you at the checkout. 

January is an incredibly busy period. We suggest purchasing your school shoes as early as mid- December to avoid any delays and to allow time to exchange them if they aren't quiet right. Please see our shipping times for estimated delivery times. 

No. All parcels sent from LBF (unless you're a PO Box or rural and thus sent with Australia Post) are sent by courier and require a signature to ensure safe delivery. If a recipient at the delivery location is unable to sign for the package it will either be re-delivered as arranged by the recipient or alternatively dropped off to a nearby collection point. 

To avoid delays, we suggest nominating a shipping address where you're typically present - such as work.