Modern footwear has been associated with the development of foot pain and pathology in the ageing adult. Yet this foot health issue does not seem to alter the footwear purchase made by younger women. Teenagers were questioned regarding shoes purchased over a 6-month period. The results indicated that footwear choices are activity specific and participants chose the style and design of shoes related to the image they wanted to portray. Footwear preferences and habits may be related to musculoskeletal system problems especially inappropriate footwear such as high heeled, too tight or loose shoes are directly correlated foot pain, deformities and postural defects. Strong correlation was found inappropriate footwear and foot pathology in the aging population.
Below are health Factors Involved With a Footwear
It is thought that habitual constriction caused by footwear causes osteological deterioration in feet over a long period of time, with unshod populations having a lower frequency of bony morphology. However, in western populations there is a need to wear footwear to address environmental and functional requirements as well its role in identity, with young UK women purchasing on average 6 pairs of shoes a year.
The three toe box shapes were round square and pointed. This shoe was selected as it has been highlighted as the everyday shoe of choice by young females. All the shoes were black in colour, leather uppers and design on the toe box was matched with a feature of a bow or buckle styling.
Furthermore, sole stiffness and thickness alter stability and balance and motion control has a varied impact on rear-foot kinematics.However, running and athletic shoe are infrequently chosen by females for everyday use. Current research suggests that footwear related pain in general population is dominated by females who associated up to 60% of foot pain to the shoes that have been worn with the elderly female population reporting a high association between ill fitting footwear and foot pain.
Education on the ill-effects of tight fitting footwear is poor and research indicates that footwear in the younger population is influenced by fashion and colour. Footwear choice in young females is determined by the activity that is planned, boots for warmth and flat ballet pumps for school.
Recent evidence suggests that improvements in footwear habits and outcome related to foot pain and foot function in women aged 50 or over can be achieved with standardized advice on proper shoe characteristics and fits. It is unclear whether similar outcomes could be replicated in a younger cohort of women who may have different footwear preferences.
