Differences in foot measurement between female and male firefighters

Abstract

Fire boots are mostly optimized for male firefighters, even though the percentage of female firefighters has increased. A majority of female firefighters wear male fire boots due to a lack of support from both the market and fire departments, which causes an improper fit of the boots with negative impacts on their walking and safety on unfavorable fireground. This study compared the foot morphology of 74 female and 22 male firefighters through 3D scanning and analyzed foot measurements from the Size USA dataset. The analysis focused on the foot measurements in foot length between 9.5 – 10.75”, and each measurement was normalized by foot length. T-test showed a significant difference in foot width between the female and male firefighters, and in foot width, lateral/medial ankle height, and foot girth between the sexes in the Size USA. The findings address that male fire boots can’t offer an ideal fit for female firefighters.<br>