Despite all the rhetoric today about gender, women’s and men’s feet are anatomically different. Female feet aren’t simply scaled-down versions of male feet, but rather differ in a number of shape characteristics, particularly at the arch, the lateral side of the foot, the first toe, and the ball of the foot. Of course, males tend to have larger feet on average, so it isn’t a surprise that women take shorter and more narrow strides to walk with a man at a similar speed. Women in general tend to have greater joint mobility and their ligaments are more flexible than males. When a woman’s foot hits the ground walking or running, there is more pronation (arch flattening) that occurs. Surprisingly, 90% of women buy shoes that are too small for their feet, and scientists believe one of the reasons may have to do with foot anatomy. Women’s feet tend to have a narrower heel, so women may be trying to achieve a snug fit by buying shoes that are actually too small. While the differences between the feet of men and woman are many, there’s one that everyone seems to agree on: men’s feet are more likely to be found in their mouths.
