History of Foot Orthotics
The first “orthotics” dates back at least 2,000 years with underfoot shoe cushioning. Layers of wool were placed inside the sandals to give relief to foot fatigue or strain.
The first recorded use of an “arch support” orthotic dates back to 1865, introduced by Everett H. Dunbar of Bridgewater, MA. He inserted leather lifts between insole and outsole to support the arch.
The first full-fledged foot orthotic was known as the Whitman Brace introduced in 1905 by Boston orthopedist Royal Whitman. It was a rigid, heavy metal arch support, flanged around the arch and heel. It was an ordeal to wear and distorted the shoe. Nevertheless, because of Whitman’s high reputation, it was widely adopted by orthopedic surgeons.
Around 1910, a budding young physician, Dr William Scholl, introduced a lighter, more flexible metal arch support known as the Foot-Easer. Over subsequent years, millions of pairs were sold.
During the 1920s and 1930s, many shoe manufacturers began producing “corrective” shoes with built-in orthotic features, promising to prevent, relieve or cure a wide range of foot disorders. This footwear became a major and lucrative part of the shoe industry.
At one time there were as many as 1,000 “brands” of this footwear, including 200 “doctor” shoes, on the market. Advertised claims for the therapeutic benefits of this footwear became so exorbitant that in the late 1940s the Federal Trade Commission issued cease-and-desist orders. The corrective shoe business rapidly faded.
Beginning in the 1960s the steady introduction of new materials, lighter and stronger, gave orthotics a new direction. More were being custom-made via plaster casts for doctors’ patients, though a majority, even today, continued to be “stock” devices ordered by size.
The plaster castings have been gradually replaced by less messy casting methods, and even more advanced is casting by computers.
Modern orthotics developed rapidly in the 1970s with the phenomenal rise of athletic footwear and the jogging boom. Increasing numbers of foot and lower limb injuries reported: shin splints, plantar fascitis, toe fractures, arch strains, severe pronation, tendonitis, knee problems, etc.
Athletic shoes began incorporating orthotic devices or features: contoured sole inserts, flared heels, wedges, rear foot and forefoot controls, special traction sole designs, and especially underfoot cushioning.
The medical practitioners were thriving in a new branch; sports medicine. Orthotics became a standard part of the treatment and regimen.
Today, orthotics have come a long way from the crude (often cruel) Whitman Braces, and arch orthotics are only a small part of the orthoses today.