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Comfort Footwear
FIT FOR COMFORT
Although, new materials, footwear design and technology can enhance shoe
comfort, the most important comfort factor is getting the right fit. Feet are
not standard – they are highly individual. Apart from foot shape, factors
8E Fit
such as physiology and gait need to be taken into account. One man’s ‘com-
6E Fit
4E Fit
fort shoe’ may be the cause of discomfort for someone else, or comfortable
EE Fit
for the first three hours of wear, then a source of pain and blisters.
high street shoes
Increasing toe depth
Charles Denton, Managing Director of DB Shoes explains: “Most
people when sizing is mentioned think of length of the shoe only, when in
fact tread width and toe depth are also vital measurements when
Increasing tread width
assessing the “comfort” of a shoe for any particular wearer.
“It is a combination of all three measurements that make a shoe “com-
fortable”. Without the correct width and toe depth a shoe is never going to
feel “comfortable”. This varies for each individual wearer, as all our foot
SATRA COMFORT INDEX
shapes are different. It is only once these factors have been taken into ac-
SATRA’s unique Comfort Index can be fully considered.
count that other factors such as soling materials, upper materials etc., then is a means to measure overall The final Comfort Index is
add to the “comfort” experience.”
footwear comfort in a con- calculated by combining all the
DB Shoes specialise in extra wide (EE fitting), extra wide, extra deep (4E
trolled laboratory environment. scores and applying weighting
It comprises four elements: fit factors reflecting the relative
fitting), extremely wide (6E fitting) and extremely wide and deep
assessment, aesthetics and importance of each parameter.
(8E fitting) footwear ensuring that you get the correct fitting footwear for
handle (softness, flexibility and An Index below a certain num-
your feet. Many styles have extra deep toe boxes to accommodate feet that re- texture), moisture disposal as- ber is rated as ‘uncomfortable’,
quire an even roomier toe area. They manufacture these deeper toe box styles
sessment and treadmill assess- with rising levels of comfort
in such a way as to give the foot the space required, but still look stylish.
ment. A scoring system assigns measured from ‘moderately
marks to over 60 individually comfortable’ to ‘highly comfort-
Many of its shoes have removable socks
assessed comfort factors. able’ at a high Index number.
DB Shoes allowing a podiatrist to insert specialist or-
Fit assessment identifies According to SATRA its
thotic devices if required; other styles are problems in accommodating Comfort Index provides a
seam free on the inside, a possible choice
the target market population meaningful, quantified method
for people who have diabetes or other foot
and specific fitting faults that of measuring comfort, which
might lead to discomfort. Aes- can differentiate between
health issues.
thetics and handle uses a panel products as well as between
Laura West, Secretary of the Society of
of assessors to systematically materials or components in
Shoe Fitters maintains that the human el- evaluate the feel and handle of similar shoes. It quickly
ement in shoe fitting can never be under-
materials and whole shoe identifies the comfort
estimated: “Someone can have a low ankle
construction. Thus, the strengths and weaknesses of
customer’s perception of new designs without the need
bone, pronate, supinate, have a high instep,
comfort at point of sale – which for expensive and time-
a 'difficult' toe, diabetes, etc., all of which
influences the buying decision consuming wear trials, providing
should be assessed when a shoe is being fit- process – is evaluated. pointers to where product
ted. Which is why we are worried about people buying shoes over the In-
Moisture disposal properties improvements can be made.
ternet,” she says.
of upper, lining and insock
materials are considered with
“Obviously it is vital to wear the right shoe for the right occasion, but it
respect to wicking, absorption
is important to buy a good quality shoe that fits snugly at the heel, nicely
and permeability performance,
across the breadth and with ample provision for toes. These and the overall ability of the
points tick most of the boxes - but there is so much more to take into con-
footwear to manage sweat
sideration which can only come from an educated and practiced eye."
production. The key part of the
Comfort Index is the assess-
As a podiatrist and Chair of the Healthy Footwear Group, Professor Wes-
ment of physical comfort
ley Vernon OBE PhD, explained his views on Comfort Footwear to
parameters on the foot during
Footwear Today: “I welcome anything that can help to facilitate the treadmill walking. Trained
various health problems of the foot that can be attributed to poorly fitted
wearers respond to questions
shoes and accommodate those problems already present. Comfort in wear
about different comfort factors
of the shoe while walking on a
is one factor involved in this.”
treadmill at a set speed in the
“Comfort, however, is only one factor amongst a multitude of consider-
laboratory. Standard hose is
ations. Fitness for purpose is essential and comfort does not worn and, before each test, a
necessarily imply that fitness for purpose has been attained. This would in-
reference shoe is worn to
clude considerations of the overall suitability of the shoe for wearing on
standardise the procedure.
Multi-choice answers
the foot as well as the need for that shoe to fit well and be matched to the
are shown to the wearers
purpose intended.”
while walking so each one
CONTACTS: CAPRICE: Stephen Joseph Tel: 07734 247 669/020 8447 3956
www.capriceshoes.co.uk
• DB SHOES: Charles Denton Tel: 01933 359217
www.dbshoes.co.uk • HOTTER ‘COMFORT CONCEPT' SHOES:
Clive Leverett Tel: 0800 0183412
www.hotter.com • SATRA: Tel. +44(0) 1536 410000
www.satra.co.uk
• SOCIETY OF SHOE FITTERS: Laura West, Secretary, Tel. 01953 851171
www.shoefitters-uk.org
Caprice
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2009
•
FOOTWEAR TODAY
•
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