Abstract
Foot length and breadth are generally used to determine the correct shoe size. An important question is whether foot length and foot breadth are dependent upon body posture. Therefore, the effect of leaning forward/backward on foot length and breadth is investigated in this study.
Seven subjects participated in the experiment in three standing postures; neutral (N), leaning forward (F) en leaning backward (B). The foot pressure was determined and the feet were scanned using a 3D-whole body scanner. Foot length and foot breadth were determined from the scans of the right foot. The centre of gravity (COG) was calculated from the pressure distribution and showed that the COG moved 11 cm forward in posture F and 8 cm backward in posture B. No difference existed between foot length and breadth between the three postures. Thus, it does seem important to standardize the standing posture to determine foot length and breadth reliably. The 3D scans showed some differences in foot shape, however. In position F the forefoot was rotated inwards as compared to B.
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