The relationship between designer ideas and the reality: a case study on footwear for women with hallux valgus

Abstract

Hallux valgus (HV), also known as a bunion, is a foot deformity that causes pain and motor imbalance. As a conservative treatment, appropriate footwear prevents the aggravation of the deformity. For this, the footwear designers must know the appropriate characteristics of the footwear to develop a product more suitable for the HV. Knowing that some Brazilian footwear companies produce shoes for HV, this paper aims to analyze and correlate the characteristics adequate for the HV shoes between the footwear designers and people related to this product, such as salespeople, women with HV, and orthopedists. Results showed that the divergence of the considered characteristics between the footwear designers’ ideas and the other participants can lead to the project of an ill-fitting shoe. Results also suggest that the inclusion of the salespeople, women with HV, and orthopedists perspectives provide a better understanding of the pathology for the project of an adequate shoe.