Inspection Of Children’s Feet For III-fitting Footwear

Grey River Argus, 19 April 1948, Page 2

Inspection Of Children’s Feet For III-fitting Footwear

The" Ne’v Zealand Standards Institute are at present conducting a survey of 5000. New Zealand school and pre-school children’s feet in order to 'prepare a suitable New Zealand standard specification for footwear lasts with a view, to the prevention- of injuries to physique and health resulting from ill-fitting footwear.

Two officers of the Standards Institute are at present, visiting West Coast schools in connection with the survey 7.

Their task is to ascertain how many different shoe sizes, are necessary, also what the measurements of each size should be. There is a great multiplicity of English and American lasts in use in New Zealand at present, and it is intended to have these standardised. A specially constructed machine, made by the Dominion .Physical Laboratory in Wellington, is being used. It consists of thick persnex lit from underneath with powerful electric bulbs, throwing the whole foot into relief so that exact points of contact can be seen. Four measurements on each foot are taken on this, while five circumference measurements are made by tape measure; the width of the heel is taken with a caliper and another device measures the denth of the foot. , . Only a cross-section of schools in the country will be visited, chosen for special characteristics. On the West Coast, the Kumara school is at present being visited, and later the children of two schools in the Buller district will be examined