Designing Cloth Shoes for Elderly People Facing Challenges in Wearing Conventional Footwear

  • Unique Paper ID: 204000
  • Volume: 13
  • Issue: 1
  • PageNo: 1291-1306
  • Abstract:
  • Many elderly individuals struggle with standard shoes because of age-related issues like stiff joints, swelling, physical deformities, and decreased stability. These obstacles often diminish their comfort and personal autonomy. This research explores the creation of specialized cloth footwear designed to bridge the gap between traditional shoes and the specific needs of the elderly. By prioritizing a user-centered, ergonomic approach, the design utilizes lightweight fabrics and intuitive fastening mechanisms to ensure the shoes are safe and easy to put on. The development process utilized cotton, terry, and woolen handloom jacquard to produce prototypes, which were then tested by both older adults and their caregivers. Evaluations focused on fit, ease of use, and as well as the visual appeal impact of the design. The results suggest that these cloth shoes provide a more comfortable, user-friendly experience than traditional options. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that textile-based adaptive footwear serves as a practical, dignified solution that supports the mobility and confidence of an ageing population.

Copyright & License

Copyright © 2026 Authors retain the copyright of this article. This article is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

BibTeX

@article{204000,
        author = {Dr. JAYALAKSHMI.I and Ms. LOGESHWARI. R},
        title = {Designing Cloth Shoes for Elderly People Facing Challenges in Wearing Conventional Footwear},
        journal = {International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology},
        year = {2026},
        volume = {13},
        number = {1},
        pages = {1291-1306},
        issn = {2349-6002},
        url = {https://ijirt.org/article?manuscript=204000},
        abstract = {Many elderly individuals struggle with standard shoes because of age-related issues like stiff joints, swelling, physical deformities, and decreased stability. These obstacles often diminish their comfort and personal autonomy. This research explores the creation of specialized cloth footwear designed to bridge the gap between traditional shoes and the specific needs of the elderly. By prioritizing a user-centered, ergonomic approach, the design utilizes lightweight fabrics and intuitive fastening mechanisms to ensure the shoes are safe and easy to put on. The development process utilized cotton, terry, and woolen handloom jacquard to produce prototypes, which were then tested by both older adults and their caregivers. Evaluations focused on fit, ease of use, and as well as the visual appeal impact of the design. The results suggest that these cloth shoes provide a more comfortable, user-friendly experience than traditional options. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that textile-based adaptive footwear serves as a practical, dignified solution that supports the mobility and confidence of an ageing population.},
        keywords = {Cloth shoes, Comfort, Elderly individuals, Footwear, Mobility},
        month = {June},
        }

Cite This Article

JAYALAKSHMI.I, D., & R, M. L. (2026). Designing Cloth Shoes for Elderly People Facing Challenges in Wearing Conventional Footwear. International Journal of Innovative Research in Technology (IJIRT), 13(1), 1291–1306.

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