Abstract Background: Contact dermatitis (CD) is an inflammatory response of the skin to an exogenous substance which accounts for approximately 90% of occupational dermatoses. Footwear allergy can develop in any age and also in both sexes. The highest prevalence is in warm climates. Friction and pressure are also significant. Patch test provides an accurate and relatively simple means of diagnosis and allows the physician to initiate appropriate management for alleviation of patients’ suffering at the earliest. The purpose of this study is to evaluate clinical and epidemiological factors and the clinical relevance of patch testing in diagnosis of footwear CD in and around Kannur district. Aim:  Is clinical and epidemiological study and the clinical relevance of patch testing in diagnosis of footwear contact dermatitis. Materials and Methods: Patients with clinically diagnosed footwear contact dermatitis were included in the study. Patients were examined in detail. Name, age, type of footwear used and history of exacerbating factors were recorded. All the patients were patch tested using CODFI approved fifteen antigens of Indian standard footwear series. Positive and negative results recorded. Results: Among 45 patients majority of were in the age group 21-40 years followed by 1-20 years. Slight female preponderance observed. Majority presented with itching. Duration of illness varied from 1to 6 years. Rubber foot wear and winter season are more among the exacerbating factors. Patch test positive in 13 patients. Black rubber mix, MBT, Glutaraldehyde, neomycin sulphate, disperse blue, Hydroquinone monobenzyl ether, Potassium dichromate, thiuram mix were found positive in decreasing order. Conclusion: Contact dermatitis is seen in good number of patients, out of which the footwear CD was quite significant. The higher incidence in third and fourth decade of life in our study is because of the fact that this age group is the productive and exposure to various antigens are high. Slight preponderance of females in our study may be due to their exposure to a wide variety of footwear. Patch testing, which was positive in 29% is found to be useful in the diagnosis of footwear contact dermatitis which can be helpful in reducing the incidence of footwear CD.

Key Word: Contact Dermatitis, Footwear, Patch Test, Allergens, Black Rubber Mix.