title: "Good for older ladies, not me": how elderly women choose their shoes.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Footwear selection is important among older adults. Little is known about factors that influence footwear selection among older women. If older women are to wear better footwear that reduces their risk of falls and foot abnormalities, then a better understanding of the factors underlying footwear choice is needed. This study aims to identify factors that drive footwear selection and use among older community-dwelling women with no history of falls.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cross-sectional survey using a structured, open-ended questionnaire was conducted by telephone interview. The participants were 24 women, 60 to 80 years old, with no history of falls or requirement for gait aids. The responses to open-ended questions were coded and quantified under a qualitative description paradigm.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The main themes identified about footwear selection were aesthetics and comfort. Aesthetics was by far the main factor influencing footwear choice. Wearing safe footwear was not identified as a consideration when purchasing footwear.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study indicates that older women are driven primarily by aesthetics and comfort in their footwear selection. These footwear drivers have implications for health-care providers when delivering fall and foot health education.
authors.affiliation: Podiatry Department, Southern Health, Kingston Centre, Cheltenham, VIC, Australia.
authors.forename: Annette
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Terry P
authors.initials: TP
authors.lastname: Haines
mesh_terms: D000058:Accidental Falls / Q000517:prevention & control*; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000886:Anthropometry; D001315:Australia; D001835:Body Weight; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D004954:Esthetics; D005260:Female; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D015577:Geriatric Assessment; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference; D012775:Shoes; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires