That is a loaded question. How do we go about learning the anatomy of the foot and ankle? I think part of it depends what are you learning it for. Are you a Podiatrist or Foot and Ankle Orthopedist? Your requirements are a little different than a nursing student or a massage therapist trying to learn it for a test. While I am going to attempt to answer what you might want to take a look at, other than just study your notes and pay attention in class (who wants to do that).
So say you are a Podiatrist or Foot and Ankle Surgeon. Well, what you need is an extensive book with well done pictures. Really, while you may be looking for something for your test, if you are serious about it, you need a Foot and Surgical Anatomy book and for this I would recommend this book.
Either Surgical Exposure or Sarrafin are both high quality books. I tend to lean towards Sarrafin and both are priced equitably where there is not much difference between the two. I would take a look and evaluate each one, but both are solid options to consider. As I said if you are Podiatry student I would probably invest in one of those 2 if this is a class, since these will come in handy down the road.
Now say you are a nursing student, podiatry student, or medical student and want something a little bit less intense to help you get through your foot and ankle anatomy class. Well if that is the case, Netter’s Concise Orthopedic Anatomy would be the way to go. If you are a nursing student you can even use it for other classes as well. This book is concise and should provide all the information you will need for tests that you may encounter.
Say you just need to pass a freaking test in anatomy and simply want some study help for foot and ankle anatomy tests and quizzes. Well, here we go. There are both charts and flashcards at your finger tips to help you with that foot and ankle anatomy test or quiz.