Eighteen idiopathic toe walkers were evaluated by gait electromyography to define muscle timing abnormalities. This group was compared with a matched group of normal children walking on their toes and to a group of patients with cerebral palsy and equinus deformities. Although timing in all three groups differed from normal timing, the two patient groups showed some statistically significant differences in phasic timing from the control group. However, no significant differences existed between toe walking and spastic children. Historical data (family history, male predominance, and learning disabilities) suggest that idiopathic toe walking is a true entity, although the gait electromyograms were not diagnostic.