Comfort Footwear
Published: 13 November, 2009
On first impressions, the term "Comfort Shoes" seems to be a contradiction in terms - who, after all, would contemplate wearing "Discomfort Shoes"?
Well, therein lies the paradox: women, and we have to be a smidgen unpolitically correct because it is mostly women, have been known to wear shoes that were, frankly, uncomfortable. To be more balanced here, I am old enough to remember the Mods (or was it the Rockers) whose "uniform" required men to wear "Winkle pickers".
"Winkle pickers" were like the tight drainpipe trousers of the time - there was no room for your bits - in the case of shoes that meant your toes.
Now, there has been a Damascene conversion on the way to Crippledom: women, particularly those of the Sixties generation, have redeemed themselves by expressing a willingness to buy shoes that promise to heal the ravages that time have wrought on their feet. For some, the odd bunion, in growing toenail or arthritis is not going to deter them from hiking in the Himalayas or dancing the night away on a cruise ship in the tropics.
Fortunately for them, these days comfort no longer has to be sacrificed on the altar of style, and to look good doesn't necessarily mean enduring the ‘breaking in' of your chosen shoe and the sticking plasters this requires. Advances in shoe design and technology have led to a new
generation of footwear brands that specifically market comfort, offering a wider fit which many people of all ages need, but, with younger, more active and fashionable styles.
There has probably never been a time in history when the design, production methods and materials used in making shoes have developed so rapidly. Besides countering some of the age-old defects in shoe design, those in this field are having to cope with new issues such as an ageing population and an obese population who put increasing pressure on shoes and need the comfort to cope with the extra weight they are carrying.
One of the best examples of science driven design is the German brand Caprice, a brand that is renowned for its innovative comfort footwear technology, called "Walking on Air" that is patented throughout Europe. Caprice has adapted the natural curve of the heel for fashionable all leather comfort shoes - "as if walking barefoot" - and the flexible sole, insole and upper work together to provide a feeling of lightness.
Additional features include optimal moisture reduction during and after wear, insulation against cold and heat and cushioning providing up to 62% less pressure than conventional shoes. Also, up to 50% more shock absorbency, due to the pneumatic chambers and stabilisers in the heel, which work to help reduce the pressure exerted during walking on the spine, discs and joints.
In Europe, including Britain, the Caprice brand has grown over the past three years from 450,000 pairs per year in 2006, to over 3.54 million pairs today. In Britain the brand has grown eight fold, partly because
its retail price points are lower than other established comfort brands. It supplies traditional shoe retailers, department stores and boutiques, but does not supply directly to the public.
Some comfort shoe brands offer features such as anatomical footbeds, or insoles, that can make your feet more comfortable and improve your posture, eliminating pain. An example of this being the Hotter ‘Comfort Concept' ‘Dream' trainer, designed to cushion the knees and back. In addition, the cool ventilated footbed with air holes means that feet will always be able to breathe.
Hotter, which was founded by 50 years ago the parents of the current Managing Director Stewart Houlgrave, initially manufactured slippers. Stewart led the Lancashire-based company into the production of branded footwear in the ‘80s with the purchase of the first of four direct moulding machines
In 2003, the company invested £6 million in a new factory and added a further £500,000 of investment in 2007 in robotic production lines. It manufactures 1.3 million pairs of shoes from its Lancashire base each year selling through a direct mail operation, five high street stores and 200 independent shoe retailers.
"In the years since we developed our Comfort Concept the comfort footwear market has evolved tremendously," commented Managing Director, Stewart Houlgrave. "Comfort nowadays is more and more a ‘given' - it is not an option for customers to have a stylish shoe or a comfortable shoe - comfort is the baseline one which purchasing decisions are made."
"Our target audience is 50+ and we know that the 50 year old ladies buying our shoes today have a completely different outlook and lifestyle than their mothers did at 50. Today 50-year-olds are active, they are in a position to travel, have time for hobbies and enjoy long and fulfilling lifestyles long after retirement. So now comfortable shoes no longer have to be boring lace-ups or slips-ons - of course, they have to have a degree of functionality, but they have to be appropriate to the age and attitude of the consumer. "
Fit for comfort
Although, new materials, footwear design and technology can enhance shoe comfort, the most important comfort factor is getting the right fit. Feet are not standard - they are highly individual. Apart from foot shape, factors such as physiology and gait need to be taken into account. One man's ‘comfort shoe' may be the cause of discomfort for someone else, or comfortable for the first three hours of wear, then a source of pain and blisters.
Charles Denton, Managing Director of DB Shoes explains: "Most people when sizing is mentioned think of length of the shoe only, when in fact tread width and toe depth are also vital measurements when assessing the "comfort" of a shoe for any particular wearer.
"It is a combination of all three measurements that make a shoe "comfortable". Without the correct width and toe depth a shoe is never going to feel "comfortable". This varies for each individual wearer, as all our foot shapes are different. It is only once these factors have been taken into account that other factors such as soling materials, upper materials etc., then add to the "comfort" experience."
DB Shoes specialise in extra wide (EE fitting), extra wide, extra deep (4E fitting), extremely wide (6E fitting) and extremely wide and deep (8E fitting) footwear ensuring that you get the correct fitting footwear for your feet. Many styles have extra deep toe boxes to accommodate feet that require an even roomier toe area. They manufacture these deeper toe box styles in such a way as to give the foot the space required, but still look stylish.
Many of its shoes have removable socks allowing a podiatrist to insert specialist orthotic devices if required; other styles are seam free on the inside, a possible choice for people who have diabetes or other foot health issues.
Laura West, Secretary of the Society of Shoe Fitters maintains that the human element in shoe fitting can never be underestimated: "Someone can have a low ankle bone, pronate, supinate, have a high instep, a 'difficult' toe, diabetes, etc., all of which should be assessed when a shoe is being fitted. Which is why we are worried about people buying shoes over the Internet," she says.
"Obviously it is vital to wear the right shoe for the right occasion, but it is important to buy a good quality shoe that fits snugly at the heel, nicely across the breadth and with ample provision for toes. These points tick most of the boxes - but there is so much more to take into consideration which can only come from an educated and practiced eye."
As a podiatrist and Chair of the Healthy Footwear Group, Professor Wesley Vernon OBE PhD, explained his views on Comfort Footwear to Footwear Today: "I welcome anything that can help to facilitate the various health problems of the foot that can be attributed to poorly fitted shoes and accommodate those problems already present. Comfort in wear is one factor involved in this."
"Comfort, however, is only one factor amongst a multitude of considerations. Fitness for purpose is essential and comfort does not necessarily imply that fitness for purpose has been attained. This would include considerations of the overall suitability of the shoe for wearing on the foot as well as the need for that shoe to fit well and be matched to the purpose intended."
SATRA Comfort Index
SATRA's unique Comfort Index is a means to measure overall footwear comfort in a controlled laboratory environment. It comprises four elements: fit assessment, aesthetics and handle (softness, flexibility and texture), moisture disposal assessment and treadmill assessment. A scoring system assigns marks to over 60 individually assessed comfort factors.
Fit assessment identifies problems in accommodating the target market population and specific fitting faults that might lead to discomfort. Aesthetics and handle uses a panel of assessors to systematically evaluate the feel and handle of materials and whole shoe construction. Thus, the customer's perception of comfort at point of sale - which influences the buying decision process - is evaluated.
Moisture disposal properties of upper, lining and insock materials are considered with respect to wicking, absorption and permeability performance, and the overall ability of the footwear to manage sweat production. The key part of the Comfort Index is the assessment of physical comfort parameters on the foot during treadmill walking. Trained wearers respond to questions about different comfort factors of the shoe while walking on a treadmill at a set speed in the laboratory. Standard hose is worn and, before each test, a reference shoe is worn to standardise the procedure. Multi-choice answers are shown to the wearers while walking so each one can be fully considered.
The final Comfort Index is calculated by combining all the scores and applying weighting factors reflecting the relative importance of each parameter. An Index below a certain number is rated as ‘uncomfortable', with rising levels of comfort measured from ‘moderately comfortable' to ‘highly comfortable' at a high Index number.
According to SATRA its Comfort Index provides a meaningful, quantified method of measuring comfort, which can differentiate between products as well as between materials or components in similar shoes. It quickly identifies the comfort strengths and weaknesses of new designs without the need for expensive and time-consuming wear trials, providing pointers to where product improvements can be made.
Contacts:
Caprice: Stephen Joseph Tel: 07734 247 669/020 8447 3956 www.capriceshoes.co.uk
DB Shoes: Charles Denton Tel: 01933 359217 www.dbshoes.co.uk
Hotter ‘Comfort Concept' Shoes: Clive Leverett Tel: 0800 0183412 www.hotter.com
SATRA: Tel. +44(0) 1536 410000 www.satra.co.uk
Society of Shoe Fitters: Laura West, Secretary, Tel. 01953 851171 www.shoefitters-uk.org
