Analysis of Middle Aged and Elderly Women's Foot Shapes for Shoe Design

Abstract

This study analyzes the characteristics by age and type for middle aged and elderly women foot shapes aged 40-69 years. ANOVA, factor, and cluster analyzed middle aged and elderly women's foot shapes. The results of the study are as follows. First, higher age groups tended to have smaller foot lengths, ball/instep circumferences, circumferences, and ball heights with larger heel height values and higher degrees of gathering of toe 1 and toe 5 toward the feet reference axis. Second, foot lengths were 220 mm-240 mm and the ball circumference’s size symbol in high frequency sections were distributed from E to EEEE in the 40s and 60s groups and from D to EEEE in the 50s group. Third, eight factors were extracted through the factor analyses of middle aged and elderly women's foot measurement items. Fourth, a cluster analyses classified the subjects into four types. Type 1 is a normal foot type with medium foot length and small ball circumference and type 2 is a long and flat foot type with a type with large foot length and ball circumference values as well as small ball height values. Type 3 is a thick foot type with a medium foot length, large ball circumference, large ball height and type 4 is a toe deformation foot type with medium foot length, small ball circumference, and a high degree of toe gathering toward the center.