General Discussion
Showing Original Post only (View all)Women's feet are a mess (not so with men's feet) [View all]
Every time my GP sees me walking into his office with high heeled shoes and high heeled boots, he always tells me the same thing: that I need to change shoes or I'm going to end up with big foot, leg, and spine problems.
I gotta admit I have a long-standing love affair with shoes, particularly high heeled ones. I'm not tall, and these make me taller. However, doing research on the Internet I found an x-ray of a woman's foot in a high heeled shoe and it scared the living daylights out of me, so I looked at the article. SCARY what we women do to our feet! I'm trying to come to terms with this and find the courage to wear better shoes, lower heeled shoes.
In any case, here's the article that scared some sense into me.
Are foot and ankle problems worse for women?
By Judith F. Baumhauer, MD, and Kathryn OConnor, PT
... womens feet are not just smaller versions of mens feet.
A research study by Wunderlich and Cavanagh examining lower limb and foot measurements of approximately 300 men and 500 women in the U.S. Army concluded that biologic differences existed between male and female feet and legs. They noted significant differences in arch shape, size of the lateral side of the foot, great toe, and ball of the foot. Women, for example, had a wider forefoot, shorter arch length, and shorter metatarsals compared to men. This study was among the first to promote incorporating the structural differences between the female and male foot into the design and manufacturing of womens shoes.
... Studies have shown that differences in the structure and size of the foot bones (specifically by measurements of metatarsal, phalangeal, calcaneal, and talar bones) have allowed for forensic identification of sex. ... Although the initial purpose of the study was not to identify sex differences, statistically significant disparities were noted. For instance, the study showed that women had a 20 percent to 25 percent lower volume and surface area in the subtalar, talonavicular, and ankle joints and up to 16 percent thinner cartilage. ...Women and men also have significant differences in gait. Studies by both Kerrigan and associates and Sepic and associates have shown that plantar flexion and range of motion of the ankle are greater in women, possibly due to greater laxity in female ligaments.
... the typical, more fashionable high-heeled shoe with a narrow toe box causes increased plantar pressure and toe crowding, which can cause bunions (hallux valgus), bunionettes, hammer toe, and even neuromas. ...Studies show that 88 percent of women wear shoes too small for their feet and 70 percent were noted to have associated hallux valgus deformity. ... hammer toe is four to five times more common in women. ...Shoes with a heel of 1.5" or higher increase knee torque with walking, which may be associated with the increase of knee osteoarthritis.
More at the link:
http://www.aaos.org/news/aaosnow/mar08/clinical2.asp