Postural stability can reduce the likelihood of critical slip and fall accidents in workplaces. The present study aimed to analyze the effect of shoes type on the ability of postural control during quiet standing. The effect of workload on the body balance was also of primary concern. Thirteen healthy male undergraduate students participated voluntarily in the experimental study. Standing on a force plate with wearing slippers, sports shoes, or safety shoes, two-axis coordinate on subjects’ center of pressures (COP) was obtained in the two levels, rest and workload. For the workload level, subjects performed treadmill exercise to reach the predetermined level of physical workload. By converting the position coordinates of COPs, the postural sway length in both anterior-posterior (AP) axis and medio-lateral (ML) axis was assessed. ANOVA results showed that, in AP direction, wearing slippers significantly increased the postural sway length compared to wearing sports shoes or safety shoes. No significant difference in the mean sway length in AP axis was observed between sports shoes and safety shoes. In ML direction, both the workload and the shoes type did not significantly affect the mean length of postural sway. However, the postural sway length increased marginally with the slippers especially during the workload condition. This study explains wearing slippers may interfere with the ability of postural control during quiet standing. Physical workload decreases the ability of postural stability further.

The objective is to explore how fashion websites affect consumers’ perception and evaluation of footwear. Mixed methodologies including eye-tracking experiments, field note and semi-structured interviews were conducted. According to our results, the relationship between pupil dilation and fixation count is related. Many participants were more concerned about the style and comfort of the product.

Agriculture is classified as a hazardous industry worldwide according to NIOSH and ILO. However, farmers are vulnerable compared to people working in fields (such as mining and construction) that have a greater attention on safety and health. One of the hazardous factors in agriculture would be injury mortality related to extreme environmental conditions. Wearable items in agriculture (including clothing) are the nearest environment of the human body; subsequently, to understand the current state can be a way to establish an active prevention strategy against heat stress health risks from summertime agriculture work. This study investigates agricultural work wear and accessories that elderly farmers use. This study enrolled 120farmers (49males and 71 females) working in nine separate sites on different days. The average age of subjects was 61 years-old. Investigators examined the types of working posture, clothing, and items that the farmers used and/or wore. They also interviewed farmers to understand why they used such items when working. Nine surveys were conducted in 6 regions of South Korea from July 2012 to September, 2012. Environmental conditions were measured at 1.2 m heights above the ground at each site. The types of footwear (in order of foot wrapped area and thermal insulation) farmers wore were slippers, rubber shoes, loafers, running shoes, and boots. For example, the smallest area of the foot was wrapped by slippers while boots wrapped the largest area of the foot. This footwear also had different sole thickness. Loafers were used by the largest number of farmers. The second largest number of farmers used rubber shoes and boots. A total of 77.5% of farmers put on socks, and 85.9% of females and 65.3% of males put on socks. The types of hats which farmers wore were a baseball cap, a bucket hat, a sun cap, a hat for farmers, a towel, and a straw hat. The percentage of farmers wearing no hat during work was 39.2%. Baseball caps were worn by large number of male farmers but the largest percentage of female farmers wore ‘hat for farm work’. More than 50% of farmers working in PVC greenhouses did not wear hats and 25.0% of the farmers working in the fields did not wear hats. Accessories consisted of a belt, a scarf/towel, arm sleeves, gloves, a waist bag, a mask, and tools (weed whacker, scissors, hoe, foam seat pad, pick, rice-planting machine, ice-pack, sickle, shovel, lumbar pad, and integrated umbrella chair). Farmers wore lighter footwear as the weather condition was hotter. Footwear showed a difference with facility (ᵪ2=15.117, df=5, p=0.010) and had a relationship with facility. Lighter footwear was used in the PVC greenhouses rather than fields. The large number of the farmers wore loafers or boots in the fields, but the largest number of farmers in PVC greenhouses wore rubber shoes. A hat showed a difference with facility (ᵪ2=8.844, df=1, p=0.003) Hats had a significant relationship with facilities with more used in the fields rather than in PVC greenhouses. Elderly farmers wore a hat with shorter brim in the PVC greenhouse than in the fields. The type of footwear seemed related with facilities as well as weather. Farmers tended to wear lighter footwear when the weather is hotter or they work in PVC greenhouse. The majority of elderly farmers wore loafers and rubber shoes which had indistinguishable thin soles. The type of hats showed a difference between facilities (as well as gender) and only 31.7% of all participants used long brims.

The goal of this paper is to examine whether and how brand licensing can be an appropriate marketing tool for the development of a brand strategy in footwear SMEs. The article is based on a qualitative research methodology by adopting the multiple case study approach. Main results shows that licensing proves to be effective and that a multi-stage process of development exist that is common within footwear SMEs using brand licenses.

This study present an integrative model incorporating key consumer characteristics (shopping motivations, need for touch, and perceived risk) as drivers/barriers of e-commerce in the footwear industry. An online survey was conducted using a sample of 4,203 customers of a global footwear retailer. The model was validated across cultural/gender segments.

This study on various kinds of footwear in the Late Qing Dynasty and the Republic of China (1840-1949) is based on the collections in the Folk Costume Museum of Jiangnan University. The utility functions of the various kinds of footwear are introduced in depth according to their different formation features and ergonomics. The basic utility function of the traditional footwear is to meet the basic needs of the body (mainly the foot) and people’s daily life with the special design of material, shape-making, craft skill and relevant foot accessories in the process of making and using of footwear under certain material conditions, such as abrasion resistance, anti-skidding, waterproofing, and warmth retention, etc. In addition, the traditional Chinese footwear has some comfortable and hygienic functions, such as hygroscopicity, breathability, antibacterial property, deodorization and foot massage and so on, which has much reasonableness and practical value for wearing. Therefore, the utility function of traditional footwear in Modern China is not an empty, isolated or intentional addition, but constantly discovered, summed up and amended in people's long-term living and working.