Impact of footwear fitting on foot shape in primary schoolgirls

Abstract

Purpose: The study aimed to analyze the footwear fitting and its impact on foot construction features in primary schoolgirls. Methods: The study group comprised 100 girls aged 9 years. The study relied on the CQ-ST podoscope and the Clevermess device for pertinent measurements. The data were analyzed based on the Mann Whitney U test, multiple regression analysis and simple regression. Results: Too short right footwear had 37% of the girls and the left-38% of the girls, while too long shoes were worn respectively by: 14% of the girls and 15% of the girls. Too wide footwear in relation to the right foot width had 45% of the group and in relation to the left foot: 41% of the group. Too narrow right shoes had 23% of the group and the left-32% of the group. Statistically significant influence of the excess of outdoor footwear width was found on the Clarke’s angle values (p=0.041), the fifth toe setting of the right foot (p=0.015) and Wejsflog index of the left foot (p=0.036). Conclusions: Most 9-year-old girls wear poorly fitted outdoor footwear. Appropriately selected footwear in terms of the width facilitates the formation of foot architecture, but wearing too wide footwear increases the risk of hollow feet and the varus deformity of the fifth toe.