what-when-how
In Depth Tutorials and Information
the person is the key to improving foot health through our intervention of
foot orthoses and appropriate footwear.
It is difficult for practitioners to recommend styles as there are constant
changes in fashion. It is better to recommend certain aspects of footwear
which are important features with regards to it (see Table 6.2, p. 100).
These features may vary slightly according to the specific foot problems;
for example, a patient with an ankle equinus may benefit from wearing a
sturdy but higher heel than those generally recommended without devel-
oping forefoot pain and deformity.
Giving footwear advice is particularly seen as the podiatrist's role
although any healthcare practitioner dealing with foot pathology should
be able to do this, However, doctors have been reported as identifying
that they lack both the time and the specialist knowledge to give this
advice (Williams and Meacher 2001).
Some patients think that good footwear has to be expensive and
conversely that expensive footwear is considered good. This does not
have to be the case, however, and often with good knowledge of
local retail outlets, footwear styles available and prices, patients can be
guided to the shops that supply appropriate footwear that the patient can
afford.
resources for the practitioner and patient
The British Footwear Association
(
http://www.britfoot.com
) provides
information about footwear manufacturers and retailers, and also where
to find footwear for feet that are outside of the normal ranges of retail
footwear, such as extra large, extra slim, or odd sizes for those with
different-sized feet. It is important that the practitioner be able to show
patients the type and design of footwear that would be suitable for their
foot health. Many footwear manufacturers will provide samples of their
footwear to be used as visual aids in the provision of footwear advice and
also footwear leaflets for the patient to take away with them.
In order to ensure that the right size and it of footwear is purchased,
the practitioner can measure the feet using a size stick or better still the
Brannock device (see Figure 6.7, p. 97) but remember that this is only
a guide as the footwear dimensions will vary from style to style and manu-
facturer to manufacturer.
The Disabled Living Foundation (
http://www.dlf.org.uk
)
provides fact
sheets for 'Finding Suitable Footwear'. These fact sheets cover informa-
tion on footwear for problem feet and can be viewed on the website.
The Society of Shoe Fitters (
http://www.shoeitters-uk.org
)
provides a
guide to shoe buying and foot care and SATRA
(
http://www.satra.co.uk
)
