what-when-how
In Depth Tutorials and Information
When walking barefoot, the heel of the foot is lifted about 5 cm with
each step, with the ball of the foot working as a fulcrum for the step off.
The amount of heel rise is proportional to the length of the step, therefore
the longer the stride, the higher the heel rise. In a shoe with a 5 cm heel
there is no rise in the heel because the shoe is already accounting for
that rise. The higher the heel, the shorter the stride and body weight
cannot shift from heel to ball as in barefoot walking but is concentrated
wholly on the ball. In a flat-heeled shoe, the shoe and foot are functioning
together with the heel lifting with each step and moving the weight forward
onto the ball. In a low-heeled shoe, the vamp will crease with flexion of
the forefoot. In a high-heeled shoe, there will be no creasing as there is
no flexion of the MTP joint. The low-heeled shoe requires more toe room
in the fitting because there is more forward movement, or extension, of
the foot with each step.
Throat
This is the entry point into the vamp or forepart area. There must be suf-
ficient room when the shoe is fastened onto the foot to allow for the waist
and instep to move during weight bearing. A inger width at the back
indicates sufficient room for this. A strong secure fastening to hold the
rearfoot against the heel of the shoe prevents forward slide. The facings
(where the eyelets are) should be usually 10-12 mm apart. If they are
overlapping, the volume of the shoe is too much and if they are wider
apart than 12 mm, the shoe is too small.
Design of patterns and vamps
The patterns that dictate the design of footwear have a tremendous influ-
ence on shoe it. This applies especially to the ease of getting the shoe
onto the foot and keeping it on securely. There are long and short vamp
lasts and generally the rounder the toe, the more likely the vamp will be
shorter; the more tapered the toe, the longer the vamp. Vamp length is
determined by shoe design (especially in the retail industry) and correct
style is crucial for forefoot comfort and it. An example of a long and short
pattern would be a six-eyelet tie and a three-eyelet tie style, each made
on the same last. The difference in the patterns will affect the way the
foot extends into the shoe and will also affect instep freedom. So, for
example, where the practitioner would be fitting a shoe which is required
to accommodate a large hallux valgus, a six-eyelet tie style would be a
better choice as the throat entry would be larger, enabling easier entry
and better adjustment of the top line around the foot.
