Do foot type classifications differ between male and female netball players? A cluster analysis

Area of Science:

• Sports Science
• Biomechanics
• Podiatry

Background:

• Understanding foot morphology is essential for designing effective athletic footwear.
• Netball-specific footwear requires tailored designs to accommodate diverse player foot types.
• Previous research has not comprehensively classified netball player foot types by sex and size.

Purpose of the Study:

• To classify foot types in representative-level netball players.
• To investigate the influence of sex on foot type classification.
• To provide data for developing sex and size-specific netball shoe lasts.

Main Methods:

• Three-dimensional foot scans were obtained from 502 netball players (251 male, 251 female).
• Validated MATLAB code automatically extracted six foot measurements from the scans.
• Two-step cluster analysis and chi-squared tests were employed for foot type classification and sex effect analysis.

Main Results:

• Five distinct foot types were identified: Extra long-and-wide, Long-and-wide, Flat, Tapered, and Short-and-narrow.
• Sex was found to significantly influence foot type classification.
• Smaller shoe sizes correlated with Short-and-narrow and Tapered feet, while larger sizes correlated with Extra long-and-wide and Long-and-wide feet.

Conclusions:

• Netball players present a wide spectrum of foot morphologies.
• Current footwear grading systems may not adequately address the diversity of netball player foot types.
• Data-driven insights can guide manufacturers in creating improved, functional netball footwear tailored to specific player needs.