  With the proliferation of smart phone, a major growth in the use of apps
related to the health category, specifically those concerned with foot health
can be observed. Although new, these apps are being used practically for
scanning feet with an aim to providing accurate information about various
properties of the human foot. With the availability of many 'foot scanning and
measuring apps' in the app stores, the need for an evaluation system for such
apps can be deemed necessary as little information regarding the evidence-based
quality of these apps is available. To characterize the assessment of
measurement techniques and essential software quality characteristics of mobile
foot measuring apps, and determine their effectiveness for potential use as
commercial professional tools for foot care health professionals such as
pedorthists, podiatrists, orthotists and so on, to assist in measuring foot for
custom shoes, and for individuals to enhance the awareness of foot health and
hygiene and prevention of foot-related problems. An electronic search across
Android and iOS app stores was conducted between July 2020 and August 2020 for
apps related to foot measurement. Mobile apps with stated goals of foot
measurement and general foot health were identified and selected by three
independent raters and discrepancies regarding the selected apps were resolved
via a fourth rater. Evaluation inferences found all apps failing to meet even
half of the measurement-specific criteria required for the proper manufacturing
of custom-made footwear. 23% (6/26) of apps were found to utilize either
external scanners or advanced algorithms to reconstruct 3D models of user foot
that can possibly be used for ordering custom-made footwear and medical casts
for fitting irregular foot sizes and shapes. Overall, current apps for foot
measurement do not follow any specific guidelines for measurement purposes.
