A footrest apparatus for a wheelchair and the like has a pair of supporting frame configurations (50) supporting a pair of foot plates (52) to be positioned in a first position for use and a second position for transportation and/or storage. Each of the supporting frame configurations (50) has a connecting shaft (54) rotatably received in a vertical tube (46) of a front wheel assembly. The vertical tube (46) is affixed to a frame structure (12) of the wheelchair and the like. The connecting shaft (54) and the vertical tube (46) in combination bear and transfer a foot load of the user and therefore a locking device provided between the connecting shaft (54) and the vertical tube (46) for locking the connecting frame configuration (50) in a selected one of the first and second positions, will not bear the foot load, resulting in a configuration convenient for conducting an unlock action.
