WOMEN’S SHOES

Press, Volume XCIII, Issue 27992, 12 June 1956, Page 2

WOMEN’S SHOES

NEW DESIGNS RESULT OF RESEARCH

A survey of the British woman’s fqqt at the boot and shoe industry’s research establishment at Kettering, in England, seems to show either that there is no truth in the wearer knowing best where the shoe pinches, or that women are prepared to suffer more in fashion’s cause .than even cartoonists led one to believe.

The feet of more than 2000 women from differing age, social, and occupational groups were examined to obtain a representative impression of the size and shape of the modern woman’s foot, says the “Manchester Guardian.”

The report adds: Each foot was subjected to some 30 different measurements. ranging from fairly obvious ones like the girth of the instep to the little toe angle. From the collected data, statisticians have now constructed a somewhat painful picture of what goes on inside the industry’s products. Taking the younger age group—from 16-25—53 per cent, of them have corns. 50 per cent, have distorted toes, antjl 11 rer cent, are suffering (wittingly or otherwise) I from hallux valgus or the over-inclin-ation of the great toe towards its smaller neighbour. Only 18 per cent, have no foot defects at all. In the older age groups, the figures are m most cases higher, and of women over 56. only 4 per cent, have no defects. The figures seem to show that professional women have feet about half a size longer than the average. Research for a Cure From diagnosis, the research workers are now going on to what they hope will be a cure. They are to design a new range of lasts of new sizes and shapes, based on the information gained from their survey. • Manufacturers of women’s shoes will then be encouraged to use only the. new last designs when producing new ranges of shoes. Gradually, in this way, it is hoped that shoes better suited to the oeculiarities of the modern woman’s foot will oust the older types. Whether a perfectly comfortable and non-distorting shape that also incorporates a heel three or four inches high can ever be devised is a question on which the research institution is loath to comment. Instead. .it is taking the realist line of trying to find a material for these heels that will give better service than those at present in use. Aluminium and light alloys and plastics are among the materials that have been tried in other countries, and some of these are being tested in the laboratories at Kettering.

Another possibility in this direction are heels which clip into place and can be replaced when worn out. These have alreadv been widely adopted by American women, and English manufacturers will probably have them on the market shortly.