Extraordinary Twentieth Century Shoes Research Paper
Raised heel shoes have responded to the problem of the foot of the rider slipping forward while riding. The edge used to to help in gripping the stirrup and canting trailing edge forward prevented elongated heel from catching rock when backing up. Simple heels for riding created way for stylized heels. Starting with French, height of heels in men crept up and become thinner, higher until they were no longer used while riding. Later, fashions of shoes came into being where elevated wooden shoes were used with both the toe and the heel rising up.
into fashion very quickly and spread to most countries and were used by both men and women. Today, high-heel is worn typically by women and they vary from Cuban heel to spike heel. Shoes that are extremely high heeled are used for aesthetic reasons and are not practical. Court shoes have conservative styles and are used for formal occasions and work while styles for adventuring are used for dancing and evening wear. Many patients in hospitals have severe problems of the feet due to excessive use of high heeled shoes that are non-supportive for very long period of time. (Ledge, 1985 pp24-26)
Non Supportive Shoes
Improper fitting shoes limit movement of joints, alter gait and constrict circulation. Poor fitting shoes inhibit foot orthotics that is custom made from functioning properly and these factors have negative effect on entire kinetic chain starting from the feet into pelvis and spine. In the long run, joints, muscles and connective tissues in the feet suffer and go through degenerative changes. In fact, the principle cause of disorders in female forefoot is the shoes which are uncomfortable to wear causing misery and spinal complaints. The design of shoes helps in protecting the feet and giving them support and mobility. In the past century, the original purpose of shoes which is protection from exposure and injury has been interfered with contributing to musculoskeletal disorders.
Shoe fit combines both characteristics of shape and size. Proper sizes of the shoes accommodates and allow joints to function properly since there are different variations of toe length and a shoe that is fitted using overall length may become undersize. The toe box is supposed to be high, long and wide enough in order to allow toes to move freely. Narrow toe box pressures and crowd the phalanges and metatarsals while if the toe box is short, it jams the toes causing problem of pressure on the nails. That narrow shape which is not natural causes discomfort and calluses with possible clinical problems and deformity. (Salwen, 1996 pp13-15)
The material found in the instep of the shoe should contain laces for adjustable fit. The vamp is always high to prevent instep from having pressure. Slip-ons and pumps have no vamp and for preventing shoes from falling off. If a vamp is pushed over to the edge of shoe, it becomes improper fit and may cause biomechanical problems if they are used. When the vamps are too narrow, they form a cast thereby impairing circulation and crowding bones.
The shoe has inner part called the shank that extends forward and prevent excessive pressure on medial longitudinal foot arch. Shoe with non-existent or weak shank have poor support and cause longitudinal arch to break. Lateral support is provided when vamp and heal counter combine, preventing the sole from rolling over both laterally and medially. Use of flexible custom made orthotics lower biomechanical problems. However, non supportive shoes compromise the function and support of orthotic. The recommended combination is flexible, custom fitted orthotic that has materials to absorb shock and worn in ball-fit shoe with strong shank and good heel counter. (Jain, 2000 pp11-13)
Ensuring the shoes is fit
The salesperson is supposed to measure both feet because the left and right foot sizes differ slightly. Shoes should be tried with socks that have appropriate thickness such as athletic socks, dress socks and nylon depending on the shoe type you want to buy. The shoe should be pressed in order to know where the longest toe is located.
The thumb width between the longest toe and the shoe end should be felt. Wear the shoe and walk for a certain distance to feel how the shoe fit around the insteps, heels, toes and balls and make sure the shoes are comfortable to wear and walk with without difficulty. Ensure the shoe is not scrapping against the anklebone because it may cause injury. Bear in mind that, from the beginning the shoe should be comfortable and do not rely on making them feel comfortable after sometime even if the sales person says so. (Bevery, 2001 pp44-47)
Ensuring quality
The sole is examined to ensure that its attachment to the shoe is firm. Have it in mind that soles are stitched while others cemented to upper side of the shoe and both of them are acceptable. Some athletic and men shoes are both stitched and cemented. Check the heel of the shoe and know that dress shoes of high quality have their heels made of leather and nylon or layer of rubber on back edge of their heel. In women, high-heeled shoes have their heels covered with leather or made of plastic. If the price is the shoe is high, it means that it is made of high quality plastic.
The interior of the shoe is inspected to ensure that they are made of leather interiors that absorb the moisture of the foot and the best quality are lined fully from the front to back of the shoe. Durable shoes are made up of material that has an oiled and natural finish, while polished and patent shoes made of leather are able to resist dirt. Suede shoes get stained easily and require to be sprayed using a spray that protects them.
Buckles and adornments on the shoe should be examined so that they are reinforced and attached securely with smooth, even double stitching so that they do not wear out quickly. When purchasing the shoe, it should not have bits of glue at any place if it is a true shoe for athletics. Before the shoe is removed after use, the laces should be untied completely and taken off using hands so that the mouth part of the shoe does not stretch out and fail to fit right.
Good toe boxes spread out naturally; maintain the balance and carry the body weight well. If the toes are squeezed, they fail to perform their natural function. A heel cup which is deep holds protective tissues well, cradles and offer protection to natural cushioning of the foot. A neutral heel help the bones in the feet bear the weight and shock absorbing sole that is light in weight is more comfortable but also should be firm to support the arch. (Gamble, 2003 pp13-16)
Luxurious shoes are handmade and people ensure they sew quality seams and high quality finish. This shoe has fewer mistakes in manufacturing and long lasting overall finish. Little details are made on the finish to have an element of style that increases the shoe durability. A part from durability, men purchase expensive shoes in order to impress ladies because women evaluate and judge a man by looking at the shoes they have worn because they make the first impression to be good.
Exclusive shoes help a man polish his image because image makes difference between man with expensive shoes and a normal man at the first encounter. If a person is dressed well, poor quality shoes make a big difference because they are noticed because of the contrast they create. Low quality shoes are associated with mannerisms that are cheap and if a person wears cheap shoes that are not durable, the conclusion is that the person is cheap. (Trasko, 1989 pp15-17)
Reasons for
When a person is looking good, it may not always be the best thing to other people. The generation today is very conscious about style and fashion. Unfortunately, stylists and designers try to please people by looks that are unique but may not be comfortable or practical. Runways models are in high platform heels and have perfected their runway walk but these popular looks are most of the times impractical because they create problems with leg, back, neck or spine. Women walk down the street with high heel without knowing the danger they are exposing their body to because they think that is the current fashion they should make use of.
Women use high heels in order to complement an outfit but not to be comfortable. Many of them do not know that these kinds of shoes cause serious discomfort to their feet and exacerbate pain on the back. High heel always change how a person balances the body because once they are worn, there occurs an equilibrium that is new and dynamic. When high heels are worn for any given period of time, it leads to on the back and the pelvis tips forward to alter normal configuration of spine and pelvis used to maintain center of gravity of the body. (Turner, 1992 pp12-14)
People use non-supportive shoes because of falling into trap of fashion. Women tend to wear shoes that are in fashion more than men because they think that they are stylish and attractive but indeed they are too restrictive. A person cannot balance if the shoes are too tight and is not able to perform tasks which involve bending and walking. The person cannot move comfortably and this results to poor posture.
