Fit of fire boots: exploring internal morphology using computed tomography

Abstract

Fit of fire boots is a crucial factor in the safety and performance of firefighters on the hostile fireground. Firefighters have reported that ill-fitting fire boots restrict their lower body movement and sometimes cause very dangerous situations by falling off behind the wearer. By using computed tomography, this study demonstrates the potential to quantify and visualize the fit of fire boots, which previously relied on subjective feedback from the wearers. The high-resolution three-dimensional (3D) models of two fire boot products allowed a detailed observation and measurement of the internal space of the boots. Also, the boot’s internal dimension was compared to the foot measurement of local firefighters, showing the significant differences between the two boots. Lastly, simulation wrapping the 3D scanned foot with the boot revealed large void spaces around the toe box and ankle, as well as the narrower ball width of the boot than the foot.

Keywords:

• fire boots
• firefighter
• fit
• footwear
• computed tomography
• three-dimensional scan

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Mengyun Shi and Charles Beach for their assistance in creating molds for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This research was supported in part by the Cornell University Agricultural Experiment Station federal formula funds [Project No. NYC-329851] from National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA), United States Department of Agriculture.