Differences in Foot Morphology across Age Groups for Women Active in Sport

Foot morphology in the general population has been shown to change with age, and active older adults have reported a need for wide-fitting footwear.

This study recruited 374 women active in racket sports and team sports in the UK who had their feet scanned while 50% weight bearing. Participants were grouped into 10-year age bands ranging from 18-29 years to 70-79 years. Data analysis was performed on the widths, heights, and circumferences of participants' right feet normalised to foot length, as well as an assessment of hallux valgus angle and deformity.

The 18-29-year group had significantly smaller measures of foot width, ball of foot circumference and short heel circumference (p < 0.05, η2 = 0.042, η2 = 0.056) compared to the older groups. The foot dorsum height and circumference at 50% foot length were significantly less in the oldest age groups compared to the middle age groups (p = 0.0001, η2 = 0.055 and p = 0.0007, η2 = 0.044, respectively). There was some evidence of increased hallux valgus deformity with age.

Designers and manufacturers of athletic footwear should be aware of the changes in foot morphology with age in order to provide more inclusive footwear.