For decades, footwear brands have developed products using outdated methods and measurements, working with limited insight into the foot shapes and dimensions of their target customers. The integration of 3D scanning technology into footwear retail stores has made it possible for this research to analyze a database containing a large number of male and female 3D foot scans collected across North America, Europe, and Asia. Foot scans were classified into length classes with 5mm length increments; mean width, instep height, and heel width were calculated for each length class. This study confirms the existence of many statistically significant differences in mean foot measurements amongst the regions and between the sexes, and a large dispersion of foot measurements within each group of customers. Therefore, shoes should be developed separately for each group, region, and sex, and at least 3 shoe widths per length class are required to provide a proper fit for 90% of customers. Beyond this, our analysis asserts that a shoe designed for a single group will fit a different segment of the population in another group, and that existing last grading tables should be updated to reflect the foot dimensions of current consumers.

The forefoot is the foot part most affected by ill-fitting shoes. Footwear fitting considers the measurements of length, width and arch length. Toe shape has not yet been used in sizing feet and fitting shoes. This study aims to investigate the variation in toe shape, as measured by the hallux valgus angle. An automatic and reproducible hallux valgus angle measuring method using 3D foot scans with no palpation markers is proposed and applied to about half a million samples collected across North America, Europe and Asia. The measuring method is robust and can detect the medial contour along the proximal phalanx even in extreme cases. The hallux valgus angle has a normal distribution with long tails on both sides in the general population. Large dispersions of HVA values were observed for both genders, and in all 3 geographical regions. The hallux valgus angle has a broad distribution in the general population. Females have larger hallux valgus angles than males, and people from Asia have larger hallux valgus angles than people from North America and Europe. Shoe toe boxes should be designed to fit the actual shapes of shoppers’ toes. The proposed method for measuring HVA opens a new opportunity to study the causal relationship between shoe wearing habits and HVA on a large scale.

Background: The health of children’s lower extremities and feet is a focus area for caregivers and healthcare professionals such as doctors, school nurses, and podiatrists. Our study aims to investigate the general health status of Danish children’s lower extremities and feet to identify anthropometric parameters that might be preconditions for pain and evaluate for foot diseases and whether they are associated with pain intensity and location, three-dimensional foot dimensions and foot pressure mapping, shoe dimensions, types and intensity of sports activity, quality of life, and foot health. The aim is that we will be able to identify parameters pre-dispositioning for pain, thus providing recommendations for sports activities in relation to the anthropometric conditions of a child as a potential preventive measure for pain. This analysis will be stratified by socioeconomic status on a group level, and this perspective will be able to provide preventative recommendations to prevent pain. Methods: This study is a cross-sectional examination of a thousand children in the first, fifth, and ninth grades in randomized selected Danish primary schools. We will perform a clinical examination of the lower extremities and feet for misalignments, deformities, and diseases as well as rotational status and range of motion. Moreover, we will evaluate their pain levels, sports activities, three-dimensional foot dimensions, plantar pressure, footwear, and patient-related outcome measures (PROMs) for foot health and quality of life. Results: We aim to provide an anthropometrical overview of the lower extremities and feet in children. The obtained basic understanding of healthy normal material in children will be analyzed for its relationships with pain level, sports activities, and socioeconomic status on a group level. This could potentially provide us with an understanding of the factors that impact lower extremity and foot diseases in children. In conclusion, examining children’s lower extremities and feet in Danish primary schools is a step toward identifying areas of improvement in self-care and shoe fitting, mapping podiatry-related needs of care in children’s feet, and providing parental recommendations for preventive actions on shoe fitting and the choice and intensity of sports activity concerning pain. Conclusions: The tenet of this study is a long-term follow-up to evaluate the long-term socioeconomic course on a group level, foot status, and sports activity, using patient-related outcome measures evaluating quality of life and other lifestyle factors such as emotional functioning, social functioning and interaction, and school functioning. Potentially, this will improve children’s quality of life and prevent future diseases.

Foot measurements provide important input data for designing well-fitting footwear. Existing studies have previously analyzed 3D foot measurements which contain small datasets recording between 293...

Proper fit is important for most types of footwear. Shoes are available in multiple sizes and widths to accommodate the anatomic variation of human feet. Several footwear sizing systems are being u...

Background: Caregivers often seek medical assistance when their child experiences podiatric medical ailments. Podiatric medical diseases such as ingrown toenails, callosities, warts, metatarsus varus, and hallux valgus frequently occur in children and adolescents. However, treatment, prevention, and rehabilitation are often based on empirical experiences; thus, as a first endeavor, clinical and epidemiologic mapping of podiatric medical diseases in children is warranted. We describe the prevalence of common foot conditions—callosities, ingrown toenails, hallux valgus, metatarsus varus, and warts—among Danish schoolchildren aged 6 to 16 years. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we evaluated foot conditions in children in first (aged 6–8 years), fifth (aged 10–12 years), and ninth (aged 14–16 years) grades. The clinical status of the feet was examined by teams of two podiatric physicians each. Specifically, we evaluated deformities of the foot, foot pathologies, and their anatomical localization. Results: Of 501 children (1002 extremities) evaluated, 417 had one or more of the investigated foot deformities or pathologies. We found 266 various foot pathologies among Danish schoolchildren. Metatarsus varus (53%) and callosities (46%) were the most frequently occurring foot conditions. The prevalence of foot pathologies of ingrown toenails and warts was 14% and 12%, respectively. The prevalence of ingrown toenails, metatarsus varus, and hallux valgus increased with age. Conclusions: This study found that foot pathologies such as warts and ingrown toenails and conditions such as metatarsus varus and callosities are common in Danish primary school students. These findings of high prevalences of foot pathologies and conditions motivate future research projects to clarify how this affects general health and subsequently the relation to pain, health challenges, socioeconomics, and quality of life.