Anatomy of... a Shoe? Who Knew!? [Part 1]

Within every profession, there are descriptive terms to specify characteristics or locations of features on an item. For a botanist, the anatomy of a plant is crucial in determining how a plant functions and plays an important role in how it reacts to its environment. For the musician, each instrument has their own sound and frequency as dictated by its anatomy – all the parts work together! For many healthcare professionals and patients, it makes sense that the human body has its own anatomy – there’s a name for every bone, joint, ligament, tendon, organ and blood vessel. And even those structures have structures on or within them that are named or classified. Each area of study has its own focus and that focus is very detailed. 

In regards to biomechanics of the foot, a podiatrist/foot and ankle specialist must be knowledgeable of all the structures and the geography within the foot. In addition, the anatomy of footwear is also important to know. It helps the clinician evaluate the footwear and deem it worthy or unworthy of your feet. Check out the diagram that highlights the structures in a typical tennis shoe. Shoe designers and shoe manufacturers must also have an expert handling of shoe terms because they work with its creation on a day-to-day basis.

For a shoe to work, all the components must be secure, comfortable and work together in harmony. Different shoes have different functions or combinations of functions: arch support, shock absorption, balance, traction and ambulation. In addition, athletic shoes designed specifically for a sport all have properties that help the activist excel in that sport.

Take a look at a typical athletic shoe and compare it to the diagram with various parts labeled. Descriptors of the terms will follow in the next article. How many of these features do you see on them? With a little time, you too can be familiar with all the components of a tennis shoe and their functions! Who knew that even tennis shoes had such a specific anatomy!?

Come into Beverly Hills Foot and Ankle, P.A. today! Dr. Nisha Krishnan will devise a a treatment strategy specific for your feet! Call us at (352) 513-4867! 

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