ANTHROPOMETRIC STUDY ON SHOE-WEARING AND NON-SHOE WEARING POPULATIONS

Abstract

To compare the intrinsic foot function and pliability of the foot in shoe and non shoe wearing population, measurement on the right foot of 100 randomly selected non-shoe wearing (Indians) and 100 shoe-wearing (British) population was carried out. They had normal body-mass index, age between 25 to 35 years and no previous injury or disability to the lower extremities.

Using a force gauge, force of extension and flexion at 1st metatarsophalyngeal joint, abduction at 5th meta-tarsophalyngeal joint and adduction between 1st and 2nd toe was measured. Pliability Ratio was calculated as follows:

Maximum weight bearing foot length X maximum weight bearing foot length

Maximum non-weight bearing foot length X maximum non-weight bearing foot length.

Using the student test at 95% confidence interval, there was no statistically significant difference in the intrinsic foot function. Multivariate regression analysis showed that after adjustment for other variables like gender and ethnicity, the shoe condition is significant on the pliability ratio. This study shows that although shoe-wearing does not affect the intrinsic foot function it definitely results in stiffer feet. This difference is more marked in women (p=0.0171).

Shoe-wearing can affect the transmission of forces during locomotion especially if the muscles acting across the foot are normal but the joints across which they act are stiff. Shoes have an inbuilt medial arch support and narrow toe boxes. This result in incomplete movement of the transverse and longitudinal arches of the foot leading to stiffer feet and can affect the biomechanics of shod feet.