Medical Footwear Market Size

Medical Footwear Market Analysis

The Medical Footwear Market is expected to register a CAGR of 5.80% during the forecast period(2024-2029).

• The COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on various industries, including the medical footwear market. Initially, manufacturing hubs worldwide faced challenges due to the pandemic's disruptions. However, the sedentary lifestyle adopted by many during the pandemic, characterized by limited physical activity, led to a notable increase in cases of foot pain. This surge in foot pain cases is projected to significantly influence the dynamics of the market.
• For example, according to a report released by Central Massachusetts Podiatry in April 2022, there was a notable surge in patients seeking treatment for heel pain. When compared to data from the pre-pandemic year, the average annual increase in patients seeking heel pain treatment during the pandemic restrictions was approximately 30%, peaking at a remarkable 60% increase in 2021. Consequently, this upswing in cases of heel pain has led to a heightened demand for medical footwear throughout the pandemic period. This increased demand is anticipated to exert a substantial influence on the market's growth trajectory.
• A key factor driving the market is the rising number of foot-related issues caused by poorly fitting shoes, such as plantar fasciitis, bunions, arthritis, foot and ankle injuries, corns, and flat feet. Additionally, technological advancements in medical footwear are also contributing to the growth of the market. According to the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) factsheet released in September 2021, 75% of Americans will, at some point in their lives, encounter foot health issues of varied degrees of severity. An annual average of 1.4-foot issues affect about 19% of United States citizens.
• It also reported that each year, about 5% of the United States population has foot infections such as athlete's foot, other fungal infections, and warts. The longer these conditions are left untreated, the worse the pain and discomfort become for the people. This footwear offers cushioning to the entire foot, providing the wearer with the support to move freely. Hence, the increasing burden of foot health problems drives the growth of the studied market over the study period.
• Furthermore, the new partnerships and agreements among the market players help in developing new medical footwear with new technologies. For instance, in December 2021, Sensoria Health and Darco International, Inc. signed a partnership to jointly develop smart diabetic footwear that is powered by mobile and cloud patient monitoring technology.
• In addition, in June 2022, FootBalance and Run Mummy Run entered a community partnership with the aim of promoting the importance of foot health whilst creating educational and informative content for the members. These new partnerships help to expand the applications of medical footwear products and awareness of foot health, which is expected to drive the market over the study period.
• However, the high cost of medical footwear likely impedes the growth of the market over the forecast period.