Page 58 - Sorcha Mathews
P. 58
Shoe Design
He l Eleva on:
Exis ng Problema c Areas The eleva on of your rear fo t above
your forefo t.
Exces ive weight: It can cause contracted and shortened
posterior le g muscles and tendons.
Ad i onal shoe weight is a hindrance to the
op mal funcyioning of your fo t and lower It can impair normal gait and propul-
body. sion and strips your fo t of its natural
arch sup ort.
A lighter shoe means lighter steps and re-
duced joint impact and a more natural gait. It can destabalize your main fo t arch
which can lead to exces ive prona on
(as you walk, your fo t rol s toward the
Tapering Toe Boxes: inside and your arch tends
to a en out).
The shoe nar owingtowards toes
Problems deriving from tapering toe boxes
Toe spring:
include:
Bunione es Toe springs ke p the toes con nual y
Bunions elevated above the ground in a exed
upwards posi on.
Cro ked toes
Hal ux limitus and rigidus Enables tendon imbalances in your
fo t which can lead to cro ked toes.
Hem ertoes
Ingrown toenail etc. Can shi the forefo t pad away from a
posi on that protects the heads of
your metatarsal bones.
Built in arch sup ort:
Arch sup orts can be uncomfortable and are Rigid In exible soles:
considered a band aid solu on to a problem
Preventa ve of natural a ening of
like a destaibalised main fo t arch
your main fo t arch during gait.
which is caused by previously men oned
Reduce tac le fe dback betwe n fo t
design aws like he l eleva on, tapering toe
and ground.
boxes and toe spring.
Increase likeliho d of an er ant and
Prona on control and fo t symptom man-
injurious fo tfal .
agement via built-in arch sup ort or other
Im obolize fo t in an un atural and
mo on control “features” is detrimental to
deformed posi on leading to fo t
your fo t health and should be avoided.
weaknes and other problems over
https://naturalfootgear.com/blogs/educational-articles/problematic-shoe-design-features