Detrimental results with the common inflared shoe: clinical questioning of a historic alignment concept.

The detrimental results of shoe use manifested both in the foot and in footwear were studied and found to support earlier views that inflared alignment is a significant factor in foot damage. Mechanical implications of alignment also confirmed our impression that the inflared alignment is a deleterious influence. Absence of conclusive physiologic evidence justifying inflaring and the death of end results from use of standard straight last footwear for comparative evaluation suggest that further inquiry regarding this feature is warranted, with view to its elimination.