Introduction: Foot morphology in the general population has been shown to change with age, and active older adults have reported a need for wide-fitting footwear.
Methods: This study recruited 374 women active in racket sports and team sports in the UK who had their feet scanned while 50% weight bearing. Participants were grouped into 10-year age bands ranging from 18-29 years to 70-79 years. Data analysis was performed on the widths, heights, and circumferences of participants' right feet normalised to foot length, as well as an assessment of hallux valgus angle and deformity.
Results: The 18-29-year group had significantly smaller measures of foot width, ball of foot circumference and short heel circumference (p < 0.05, η2 = 0.042, η2 = 0.056) compared to the older groups. The foot dorsum height and circumference at 50% foot length were significantly less in the oldest age groups compared to the middle age groups (p = 0.0001, η2 = 0.055 and p = 0.0007, η2 = 0.044, respectively). There was some evidence of increased hallux valgus deformity with age.
Conclusion: Designers and manufacturers of athletic footwear should be aware of the changes in foot morphology with age in order to provide more inclusive footwear.
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http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC11633873 | PMC |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1159/000541732 | DOI Listing |
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