Welcome to the Podiatry Arena forums

You are currently viewing our podiatry forum as a guest which gives you limited access to view all podiatry discussions and access our other features. By joining our free global community of Podiatrists and other interested foot health care professionals you will have access to post podiatry topics (answer and ask questions), communicate privately with other members, upload content, view attachments, receive a weekly email update of new discussions, access other special features. Registered users do not get displayed the advertisements in posted messages. Registration is fast, simple and absolutely free so please, join our global Podiatry community today!

  1. Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Have you considered the Clinical Biomechanics Boot Camp Online, for taking it to the next level? See here for more.
Dismiss Notice
Have you liked us on Facebook to get our updates? Please do. Click here for our Facebook page.
Dismiss Notice
Do you get the weekly newsletter that Podiatry Arena sends out to update everybody? If not, click here to organise this.

Straight/curved last myth or fact?

Discussion in 'General Issues and Discussion Forum' started by Boots n all, Oct 21, 2007.

Tags:
  1. Boots n all

    Boots n all Well-Known Member


    Members do not see these Ads. Sign Up.
    This a subject that has come from another thread as a “by line” discussion, l bring the topic to its own thread due to some interest and so that we do not detract from the original threads topic.
    Two statements were made by two different posters about “straight lasts”

    ”In fact this is a urban myth.. there is no such thing as straight or curved last footwear.”
    The other statement regarding straight/curved lasts..

    “An urban myth???.....probably a podiatric myth, a running magazine myth and running shoe store myth also!!”

    My problem comes from this has been made as General statement which is not based on fact.
    Whilst some truth may lay deep in the marketing of “some” brands that have only modified the sole to help sell their product and they may have been made on the same last as the standard, this is not a factual statement about all manufactured shoes and their lasts.
    When we and other shoe makers make a straight lasted shoe as a posed to a curved lasted shoe the upper is quite different, not always seen by the untrained eye, in fact the designer/pattern maker has gone to a great length of effort to hide the fact that it is different.

    For example the inside/Medial quarters need to be shorter on a straight last than a curved last as there is less distance to cover over a straight line than a curved, if this is not done the lugs will appear crooked or the counter will be off the mid line, nether been exceptable. ..sadly the last is also heavier as there is more volume, very noticeable when working on a size 18UK shoe.

    The opposite is true of a curved last product, the greater that medial curve is the longer the medial quarters need to be, extra allowance will also be needed at the medial aspect of the vamp pattern as most curved lasts extend that line through to the distal hallux to accommodate a Pes Cavus “type” foot where the hallux is abducting form the foot, again, none of this should be very visible if the “pattern maker” has done his/her job well.

    The sole can reflect these differences, accentuate or it can hide these differences to a lesser degree, say a curved last, we can hide how deep that curve comes in by a slight flare of the midial mid foot of the sole.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 22, 2007
  2. toomoon

    toomoon Well-Known Member

    My statement was made in relation to the "big 5' athletic footwear shoe companies.... ie those that most podiatrists would reccommend to their clients

    It IS a fact that in this instance all footwear is made from semi-curved lasts, and that in real terms straight or curved last fotwear is a myth
     
  3. Boots n all

    Boots n all Well-Known Member

    l did not see that in your text anywhere, must be my computer:rolleyes:, but thats cool, each to their own.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 22, 2007
  4. admin

    admin Administrator Staff Member

    To make this thread more useful, here is a cut and paste of the messages from the thread on What do we mean by 'motion control' in running shoes that are relevant to this thread (the actual posts are scattered about in the other thread):

    Paulo Silva first said:
    toomoon replied:
    Kevin Kirby replied:
    Paulo then posted (I have cut and pasted his formatted message):
    Even so the volume available in the shoe upper its completely different in both shoes.

    Completely true in some but not in all models.

    Myth or no these shoes will not fit the same way:

    [​IMG]

    (Please compare the volume available in the medial versus lateral side of each model)

    Each shoe will have different fit and feel, alowing more or less volume and that's all I'm saying:, its easier to fit a low arched foot in a straight last, this is a problem I had to solve almost every day (shoe/foot Marriage)since 1993 in my professional life.

    Kevin then replied with:
     
  5. Boots n all

    Boots n all Well-Known Member

    You are a hard worker Admin:morning:
     
Loading...

Share This Page