AK Buldt

AL Barwick

Anita Ellen Williams

B Hurst

C Bowen

C Price

E Nicholls

J Anderson

J Halstead

JJ Van Netten

K Carter

L Farndon

M Mcritchie

S Stewart

SC Morrison

SJ Preece

Journal of Foot and Ankle Research

Williams, AE

University of Salford Institutional Repository

EDITORIAL Open AccessSpecial theme article: science and sociologyof footwearAnita Ellen WilliamsThe design and construction of footwear is constantlyevolving in order to maximise its role of providing protec-tion for the external environment, accommodate bonyand soft tissue problems and assist in the biomechanicalfunction of the foot, ankle and lower limb. The drive forthis is evident in the papers in this issue that demonstratehow footwear contributes to foot pathology [1], pain [2],ulcers and falls [3]. Hence, we are pleased to present inthe Journal of Foot and Ankle Research, a broad rangetopics related to footwear that are highly relevant to clini-cal practice, the manufacturers of footwear and to futureresearch directions. The call for papers for this themedissue has resulted in 5 new articles and 8 published articleswhich cover the wide ranging aspects of footwear.Appropriate footwear is vital to maximising the poten-tial for good foot health throughout a person’s life. How-ever, footwear choices are dependent on many influencingfactors such as underlying pathology/symptoms, gender,work and social demands to name a few [4]. As such, thisissue emphasises the complexities associated with theinterrelationship between footwear, feet and the personwearing it. This themed issue provides the reader withinformation on footwear problems in people with inflam-matory arthritis [5], lupus [6] diabetes [7] and neuromus-cular conditions that include stroke and Parkinson [8].The direct effect of pathological process and the resultantchanges in the feet mean that people with long termfoot conditions experience high levels of foot pain, im-pairment and disability. These problems can be com-pounded by the use of inappropriate footwear. Indeed,this issue emphasises that people with long term footconditions frequently wear footwear which is ill-fittingand this is either due to it being an inappropriate de-sign at the point of purchase or that the use over timehas resulted in effective design components becomingineffective [3]. Our increased understanding of factorsrelated to footwear in different populations and in dif-ferent contexts have provided the basis for how theseproblems may be solved through the evolution of foot-wear design and how patients are supported with infor-mation on appropriate footwear for various activitiesincluding work.The footwear worn in the workplace is often not thefootwear that we see in the clinical setting and henceinsight into the impact of footwear worn in the work en-vironment may aid diagnosis of foot and lower limb prob-lems and inform management plans. Hence, footwearissues of fit and comfort in workers who stand for long pe-riods of time are covered in this issue [9]. Slips, trips andfalls in an occupational setting are considered to be keyincidents that account for lower limb injury and conse-quently lost time and days lost. The identification of occu-pational risk factors and the solutions are multi-facetedwith footwear being a key component in these incidents.Paediatric footwear is an aspect that is under investiga-tion in relation to the perceived and potential effects onthe development of the foot over time [10]. The emer-ging findings from the same research team [11] supportthe need for progress in children’s footwear science andadvance understanding of the interaction between thefoot and shoe in order to improve our care and under-standing of children’s feet.Also presented for the readership are advances in ourunderstanding of the biomechanical considerations offootwear related to foot motion [12]. These insights intofoot and ankle biomechanics will become even more es-sential as we investigate and treat complex diseases. Fur-ther, in relation to footwear design, research demonstratesthat particular design features are beneficial in managingspecific conditions, for example rockers soles for peoplewith diabetes [13] and neoprene uppers reduce discomfortin the toe area [14].However, not only is it important to ensure the designof footwear is correct but that people are supported inchoosing the most appropriate footwear. Guidelines caninform practitioners on what needs to be considered [15]and clinical tools aid the level of understanding that theclinician needs in order to support the patient in theirfootwear choices [4].Correspondence: a.e.williams1@salford.ac.ukDirectorate of Prosthetics, Orthotics and Podiatry, Univeristy of Salford,Salford, UK© The Author(s). 2018 Open Access This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, andreproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link tothe Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver(http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Williams Journal of Foot and Ankle Research  (2018) 11:52 https://doi.org/10.1186/s13047-018-0293-yIn conclusion, the intention of this special theme issueis to spark intellectual curiosity, and generate interest inthe importance of footwear, which will lead to new in-sights, better understanding and ultimately improvedfoot health for people throughout their lives.Anita Williams PhDAssociate Editor, Journal of Foot and Ankle ResearchAuthors’ contributionsThe author read and approved the final manuscript.Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests.Publisher’s NoteSpringer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims inpublished maps and institutional affiliations.Received: 29 August 2018 Accepted: 30 August 2018References1. Buldt AK, Menz HB. Incorrectly fitted footwear, foot pain and foot disorders:a systematic search and narrative review of the literature. J Foot Ankle Res.2018;11:43.2. Mcritchie M, Branthwaite H, Chockalingam N. Footwear choices for painfulfeet - an observational study exploring footwear and foot problems inwomen. J Foot Ankle Res. 2018;11:23.3. Barwick AL, Van Netten JJ, Reed LF, Lazzarini PA. Independent factorsassociated with wearing different types of outdoor footwear in a representativeinpatient population: a cross-sectional study. J Foot Ankle Res. 2018;11:19.4. Nicholls E, Robinson V, Farndon L, Vernon W. ‘A good fit?’ Bringing thesociology of footwear to the clinical encounter in podiatry services: anarrative review. J Foot Ankle Res. 2018;11:9.5. Carter K, Lahiri M, Cheung PP, Santosa A, Rome K. Footwear characteristics inpeople with inflammatory arthritis in Singapore. J Foot Ankle Res. 2016;9:29.6. Stewart S, Keys M, Brenton-Rule A, Aiyer A, Dalbeth N, Rome K.Characteristics of footwear worn by people with systemic lupuserythematosus: a comparison with age- and sex-matched healthy controls:a pilot study. J Foot Ankle Res. 2018;11:38.7. Van Netten JJ, Lazzarini PA, Armstrong DG, Bus SA, Fitridge R, Harding K,Kinnear E, Malone M, Menz HB, Perrin BM, Postema K, Prentice J, Schott K-H,Wraight PR. Diabetic foot Australia guideline on footwear for people withdiabetes. J Foot Ankle Res. 2018;11:2.8. Bowen C, Ashburn A, Cole M, Donovan-Hall M, Burnett M, Robison J,Mamode L, Pickering R, Bader D, Kunkel D. A survey exploring self-reportedindoor and outdoor footwear habits, foot problems and fall status in peoplewith stroke and Parkinson’s. J Foot Ankle Res. 2016;9:39.9. Anderson J, Williams AE, Nester C. An explorative qualitative study todetermine the footwear needs of workers in standing environments. J FootAnkle Res. 2017;10:41.10. Price C, Mcclymont J, Hashmi F, Morrison SC, Nester C. Development of theinfant foot as a load bearing structure: study protocol for a longitudinalevaluation (the small steps study). J Foot Ankle Res. 2018;11:33.11. Morrison SC, Price C, Mcclymont J, Nester C. Big issues for small feet:developmental, biomechanical and clinical narratives on children’s footwear.J Foot Ankle Res. 2018;11:39.12. Halstead J, Keenan AM, Chapman GJ, Redmond AC. The feasibility of amodified shoe for multi-segment foot motion analysis: a preliminary study.J Foot Ankle Res. 2016;9:7.13. Preece SJ, Chapman JD, Braunstein B, Brüggemann G-P, Nester CJ.Optimisation of rocker sole footwear for prevention of first plantar ulcer:comparison of group-optimised and individually-selected footwear designs.J Foot Ankle Res. 2017;10:27.14. Hurst B, Branthwaite H, Greenhalgh A, Chockalingam N. Medical-gradefootwear: the impact of fit and comfort. J Foot Ankle Res. 2017;10:2.15. Farndon L, Robinson V, Nicholls E, Vernon W. If the shoe fits: developmentof an on-line tool to aid practitioner/patient discussions about ‘healthyfootwear. J Foot Ankle Res. 2016;9:17.Williams Journal of Foot and Ankle Research  (2018) 11:52 Page 2 of 2

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