Investigation of Shoe Size and Toe Box Shape Variation Effect on Skeletal Alignment of Adult Foot

Improper footwear has been attributed to poor fitting with discomfort, and resulting the ultimate major foot defects. Previous studies on footwear have investigated the effect of material composition, sole stiffness and thickness, heel height, motion etc. and minute amount is known regarding the effects of toe profile variation on forefoot. In consequence, the aim of this study is to investigate the impact of different toe shapes with different shoe sizes on foot bone alignment. An adult male as convenience subject with unknown foot difficulties was recruited for the study. After assessment of foot size and other associated demographic information, anteroposterior view of the participant’s foot was captured for each of the nine different footwear as well as barefoot condition. Data like hallux valgus angle (HVA), intermetatarsal angle (IMA), and hallux valgus interphalangeal angle (HVIPA) were collected from the radiographs and analyzed as well. Shoes with plain toe and smaller size provided the worst result with maximum deflection of HVA 157%, IMA 40%, and HVIPA 160% compared with barefoot condition. On the other hand, pointed toe with one size larger imparted the best result with minimum deflection of HVA 100%, IMA 13%, and HVIPA 20%. So, these results clearly indicated the significance of correct toe box room with the proper shoe size as well as fitting. Thus, footwear technologists should emphasize on ergonomic shoe design via using anthropometric measurements of human foot to enhance the comfort of product.