Duck Feet#1621

Hi! I’m having trouble with front staggered squats because I have a duck feet. I can’t seem to do this with straight foot. Either my foot will try to move outward or my knees at folding inward when I try to lower myself. Should I have my duck feet be fixed first or there’s a work around for this?

Hey. This is Chrys, one of the trainers at Hybrid.

What you’re running into with duck feet is super normal—it usually comes from tight hips, weak glutes, or limited ankle mobility. You don’t have to “fix” duck feet before doing staggered squats, but you should adjust your stance so your body isn’t fighting itself. For most people, that means letting your toes angle out a bit instead of forcing them straight and having your knees cave in. As long as your knees track over your toes, you’re good.

The other piece is strengthening your glutes, because they’re what keep your knees from folding in. Even a quick warmup with banded walks or clamshells can make a difference. And if you spend a few minutes daily on hip and ankle mobility—stuff like ankle rocks, calf stretches, or 90/90s—you’ll slowly reduce how much your toes want to flare. Over time, as your mobility opens up, you can work toward a straighter stance, but for now, go with the slight turnout and focus on clean tracking.

Thanks, Chrys. This helps a lot and I don’t have to worry about fixing this first!

Np! And so glad it helped!