Comparative Anthropometric Study Regarding the Foot of Elderly Female Population

To design and manufacture proper footwear that satisfies the needs of the elderly female population the anthropometrical characteristics, and particularities of the foot are necessary to be evaluated, which represents the main topic of the research presented in this paper. The footwear inner dimensions are determined by the dimension of the last on which the footwear is manufactured, and they influence the comfort of the consumers. The shoe last represents the correspondent shape of the human foot [1], therefore in the case of the elderly female population, it is very important to manufacture suitable lasts based on the feet anthropometric dimensions. Previous studies [2,3] revealed that the elderly female population from Romania have difficulties in finding and buying proper footwear that meets their needs regarding fit, size, comfort, and price. Thereby, the need for customized made footwear for the elderly female population is obvious. For this study, the main feet anthropometric parameters for a group of 92 female subjects were measured and analyzed. Based on the observation made, we may conclude that the feet of the elderly females from Romania differ from those of the general female population, which justifies the need to develop and manufacture footwear that specially addresses to the needs of the elderly females.