Anthropometric characterization of indian feet

Abstract

Footwear is designed and promoted to meet the demands of the variety of movements and improve the ambulatory functions of the human feet The design of footwear is a complex multidisciplinary task spanning the fields of mathematics thermodynamics mechanical engineering physics chemistry fashion among others The important variables to be accounted for in a good footwear design include the ground reaction forces on shoe impact for force attenuation and shock absorption muscle activation patterns based on foot landing strategies stress strain profiles pressure distribution force vectors and coefficient of friction environmental ambience around the foot torsional properties and their effect on shoe flexibility and energy expenditure While the aforementioned variables are vital for shoe design the comfort of a shoe and proper foot health is ensured by a proper last 3D representation of a foot To arrive at the last parameters it is imperative that a foot measurement survey be carried out and anthropometric investigations of the feet be undertaken Statistical techniques play a major role in this study as it is impossible to measure each and every person newlineIn the footwear industry it is essential to have statistical data of the proportions of the foot of the local population This is essential for last development as lasts designed and manufactured in other countries cannot serve their purpose in India owing to differences in population climate wearing conditions urbanization etc It is therefore imperative to conduct a nationwide survey for reliable data on foot proportion This thesis aimed to characterize the foot dimensions of the Indian population based on a specially designed foot measurement survey newline newline