Observations on the Relation of Height of Heel and Support in Arch of Shoes to Foot Physiology in Marching Troops
Abstract
Tests were made of the value to foot health of support in the arch and heel of the feet of marching troops. The control shoes, army service shoe, Type III, and combat boots were compared with experimental shoes with a low heel, and with those in which steel shank support in the longitudinal arch had been removed. During the first few days of the experimental period, when the shoes were new, the highest incidence rates of lesions were reached for both control and experimental groups. There was no essential difference between the effect of the control and experimental shoes on the foot health of marching troops as evidenced by the frequency, type, duration, distribution, time of onset, and severity (march time lost due to lesions) of the clinical lesions present. In the shankless shoe experiment, the superficial lesions constituted 79% of all lesions, the deep lesions 21%; in the low-heel experiment, superficial lesions made up 57% of all lesions. The most common lesions were blisters, erythema, callus, and deep pain. Most lesions were located in the toe, metatarsal, and heel regions.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Sep 16, 1947
- Accession Number
- AD0806398
Entities
People
- G. C. Davis
- R. B. Magee
- V. M. Milstead
Organizations
- United States Army Medical Research Laboratory