ABSTRACT
Footwear in general plays an important role in protecting the foot from the environment by reducing the risks associated with trauma and enables users to have pain-free locomotion over a range of walking surfaces (McPoil 1998). However, the prolonged use of unsuitable footwear can also result in detrimental changes to occur that alter the protective nature of the shoe into a barrier between the contact surface and the natural behavior of the foot. These changes can result in altered foot morphology, reduced or impaired postural stability, neurophysiological alterations,
16.1 Introduction .................................................................................................. 341 16.2 Footwear Design and Technologies .............................................................. 342
16.2.1 Heel Counter and Collar ................................................................... 343 16.2.2 Shoe Weight ...................................................................................... 343 16.2.3 Sole and Midsole ..............................................................................344
