What does it indicate if the shoe crease is proximal to the ball of the foot?

If the shoe crease is proximal to the ball of the foot, it typically indicates that the shoe is too long. This means that the shoe has excess length beyond where the toes are, causing the crease to appear further back than expected when the foot is in a natural standing position. Properly fitted shoes should allow for movement at the ball of the foot without excessive length that can disrupt the crease alignment. A shoe that fits well will have the crease aligned at or very close to the ball of the foot, where the natural flex of the foot occurs.

When considering the other options, they do not address the positional relationship between the crease and the ball of the foot in the same manner. Width issues, heel height discrepancies, or narrowness of the shoe would have different visual indicators and would not specifically lead to a crease positioned proximal to the ball.