Dr. Frey said that, although many manufacturers have begun to develop a woman's last, most are still using a smaller version of a man's shoe to create the woman's model. Even companies who have developed a female last, such as Nike, have found that it doesn't sell well, mainly because a lot of female athletes believe the men's model is better and because the selection of shoes based on a female last is limited. Track and field is still a man's last. Dr. Frey observed that a woman's foot is shaped differently than a man's foot. The main difference is in the heel, which is proportionately smaller than the rest of the foot.
Women also tend to pronate a bit more.
No other part of their body is. Shoes are the cause of the majority of foot injuries and deformities, especially in women, Dr. Frey said. The greatest factor is the ill-fitting shoe, which can cause hammertoes, hallux valgus, bunionettes, corns, calluses and neuromas. One study found that 80 percent of women reported foot pain related to shoewear. Sixty percent noted an increase in shoe size after age 20, but few had had their feet measured in five years.