Extraordinary Twentieth Century Shoes

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Abstract

Shoes are made up of different shapes and sizes in order to meet the need and tastes of different wearers. When buying shoes, the size of both legs is put into consideration because it might have a slight variation. Durability of the shoe is very important because once the shoe is bought it should be comfortable to use and last longer, the most preferred material is leather or shinny material that does not get stained easily.

Quality of the shoe ensures that the sole if attached firmly and is not wearing out. Non-supportive shoes should be avoided because; they limit movement of joints making them not to function properly and may cause pain on the joint resulting to difficult in walking. Some people prefer to use non-supportive shoes because, they look good, they are in different styles, and they are in fashion and are very attractive because they come up in different shapes.

Introduction

Raised heel shoes have responded to the problem of the foot of the rider slipping forward while riding. The edge used to lead scanted forward 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.

High-heeled shoes caught 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 require too-tight fit 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)

Durability of the shoes

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 using non-supportive shoes

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 increase forward curve 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.

High heeled shoes make legs look longer; some people have short legs but admire to have long ones. Once they wear high heeled shoes they appear tall and their feet appear longer. These satisfy them because it is how they want to appear and even if the shoes are not comfortable, they would still use them all the time. The high heeled shoes make big foot appear smaller. This is because of the way they are designed and their shape. Even if the foot is big in size, a shoe is designed in a manner that fits a big foot but outside, its size appears small.

Non-supportive shoes change the foots angle according to the lower leg and make the curves to appear well. People who wear non-supportive shoes like the way their curves appear and think that they look very attractive and would therefore prefer to use them most of the time. This is centrally to wearing flat shoes that do not affect appearance of the curves and may make the curves go unnoticed. The posture of the wearer is changed and this requires upright carriage that alters the gait leading to a seductive fashion. (Goubitz, 1997 pp24-26)

Problems caused by non-supportive shoes

Non-supportive shoes can cause pain on the foot because they do not fit well in the foot and they are only attractive due to the style they are made of. This makes the wearer strain while walking and after walking for a long distance, the feet start experiencing pain. foot deformities are created that includes bunions and hammertoes because the feet are put in the wrong position depending on how the shoe is designed and foot is deformed because of changing the position the feet are supposed to take while walking.

An unsteady gait results and the wearers stride shortens because, the strides made have to be controlled otherwise they may make the body unstable leading to falling because the center of gravity of the body and stability need to be controlled. The wearer of non-supportive shoes is unable to run and even if he encounters danger, the movement made is very slow and this is very risky because at one given time or another, a person may require to run and therefore this shoes may cause hindrances from running. The forces at the knee are altered due to walking and these cause degenerative changes around the knee joint which may results to problems in walking later and diseases of the knee because normal foot rotation is decreased putting the knee to a rotation stress. (Gilpin, 2001 pp15-17)

Steps to be followed

Comfortable shoes should be chosen and if they must be high heels, a pair of flat shoes should be carried so that once you become uncomfortable or you are involved in a lot of movements, you can change into it. If you are doing work, wear flat shoes but you can later change into shoes which are more fashionable and you shall have alleviated discomfort and pain. If the shoe is uncomfortable to stand with, it means that, it cannot be comfortable to walk with anymore and can affect center of gravity. Supportive shoes should be chosen because non-supportive loafers and designer spikes look nice but do not give room for easy, symmetrical walking.

While sitting down wearing heals or not, stretch breaks should be taken frequently in order to alleviate atrophy of hamstring muscles. Avoid wearing tight shoes so that you can perform daily tasks easily. Before you wear the shoes, think of the job that you are going to perform and if it can affect your movement, change to the shoes that can easily fit the task. Stylists and designers are concerned with how something looks instead of the way it feels, before you purchase a shoe, know what your body is comfortable with it because the important aspect of using a style is to look at your best and maintain healthy judgment. (Rick, 1998 pp12-15)

Foot and problems of the tendon

Non-supportive shoes make the foot slant down and forward while the toes bends up. Once there is force so that the feet can take this position, more Achilles tendon shortens. If the wearer chooses flat-soled or lower heels shoes, this may cause problems. Once the foot slants forward, the ball of the foot takes most of the weight increasing likelihood of causing damage to the soft tissue supporting the foot.

Style of the shoe dictates how the shoe will function by either forcing the toes to be together or compressing them resulting in blisters, hammer toes, bunions and permanent medical conditions that require surgery in order to alleviate the pain. High heels make the foot tip forward exerting pressure on lower back by causing rump to push outwards, crush vertebrae on the lower back and crush the muscles. If non-supportive shoes are difficult to avoid, the doctor advises that, they should not be used for more than twelve hours in a day.

The critical problem with design of high heeled shoes is that it involves a toe-box that is properly constructed. If it is not constructed properly, it damages the foot. Too narrow toe-boxes make the toes be crammed close together. A room should exist for toes to have normal separation so that the option of high heeled wear is maintained instead of a deliberating practice in order to improve wearing of high heeled shoes.

Wide heels are not more stable and raised heels with much width or block-heeled shoes are unhealthy and make the knee torque after every step made. This cause unnecessary stress and make the balls of the feet have additional impact. high-heel should be designed with narrow width and heel closer to front, solidly at the ankle for the toes to have enough room and keep in check the foots forward movement by snuggling material across instep instead of jamming the toes together. Few podiatrists recommend low to moderate heels which are well constructed for patients but it appears that slight heel elevation improve that angle that makes the horizontal plane and metatarsals come into contact resulting to proper distribution of weight in normally-arched foot.(Oakes, 1996 pp33-37)

Our children’s feet

Parents know the common problems of the feet such as verrucae but are not aware of the others which are serious and are associated with the growing feet. Greater awareness of serious problems that can occur to children and the best time to seek medical advice from podiatrist improves the health of feet for young children. Many foot ailments in adults like other body illnesses originate from childhood and are already present during birth. Professional attention and regular care of the foot minimizes problems that might arise later in life.

When health of the feet is neglected, it might invite problem in other body parts such as back legs, and undesirable personality effects. Young children who have trouble with their feet walk in an awkward manner and their general posture is poor. This results to shyness in growing child and the child avoids social functions and athletics. These problems can only be solved by consultation between pediatrician, chiropodist and medical specialists. The feet of children grow rapidly during the early stages of life reaching almost half of foot size of an adult.

Development of children’s feet should proceed normally by looking at them carefully and if there is something that is not normal, professional care should be sought immediately to ensure that deformities do not outgrow. Feet should have opportunity for exercise by helping children to lie down while they are not covered for them to kick and move in order to prepare the feet for bearing weight. The child should not lie down at one position for very long because if he lies for on the stomach for long period of time, excessive strain might be put on the feet. (Santrock, 2007 pp32-33)

The image of the wrong types of shoes on our young girls

Wrong types of shoes causes foot pain on young girls. This means that the shoes were bought in the morning instead of afternoon because the preferred time for shopping is in the afternoon when feet are a bit swollen and this helps to get a better fit. The size of the feet should be judged while standing but not sitting. The shoes should be long enough, people measure shoe length by placing the big toe against the shoe end but the second toe is always longer and should not be scrunched inside.

When children wear wrong types of shoes, this shows that their parents are not aware of the dangers their children are exposed to. This is because; the ankle may get problems as a warning sign for serious health conditions such as diabetes, circulatory and nerve problems. When children use wrong type of shoes they are not able to do exercise well and walking is one of the best exercises to improve circulation and loose weight. Wrong types of shoes are in unique style and design but not always comfortable to wear. If children are driven by style, they tend to prefer the wrong type of shoe because according to them it is attractive. (Jain, 2000 pp14-15)

Conclusion

Shoes are made up of different designs and styles. It depends on the choice of the wearer when purchasing a shoe because the shoe must be pleasing and comfortable without causing damage or health problems to the feet. Some people choose shoes not because they are comfortable to wear but for reason that they are modern and attractive to the eyes of other people not bearing in mind the negative consequences and the risks they are exposing themselves to in the long run.

Children and adolescents should be assisted on the right type of shoes to wear because the current generation might influence them to use wedge healed shoes that are uncomfortable when walking. It is the duty of parents to ensure that young children wear shoes that are stable and comfortable to walk with and if they must use wedge heeled shoes, they should be used occasionally and the quality of the shoe matters most so that they can be able to walk in a comfortable manner. (Santrock, 2007 pp28-31)

References

Turner R. (1992): the body and shoes: Lincolnshire, pp. 12-14.

Santrock J. (2007): Child development: Mc Graw Hill, pp. 28-33.

Salwen B. (1996): Introduction to leather footgear: Enthohistory, pp. 13-15.

Oakes J. (1996): Our boots: Thames Hudson, pp. 33-37.

Rick O. (1998): Clothing and footwear: Douglas, pp. 12-15.

Gilpin H. (2001): Prehistoric Sandals: Axtell Morris, pp. 15-17.

Goubitz O. (1997): Exceptional Shoes: Wiley and sons, pp. 24-26.

Trasko M. (1989): extraordinary twentieth century shoes: Abbeville, pp. 15-17.

Gamble S. (2003): The disappearance of Foot-binding: Sociology Journal, pp. 13-16.

Bevery J. (2001): Shoes for bound feet: University of California press, pp. 44-47.

Jain N. (2000): foot and footwear: Ahmadabad, pp. 11-15.

Ledge F. (1985): Put your foot down on the history of shoes: Wiltshire, pp. 24-26.

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