Alternative Footwear’s Influence on Static Balance Following a One Mile Walk

Abstract

Falls are the third leading cause of unintentional death in homes and communities in the United States, causing 27,800 fatalities in 2012. The ability to maintain proper postural control is an essential part of activities of daily living (ADLs). However, recent types of popular alternative footwear may be putting the body’s postural control system at a functional disadvantage, predisposing wearers to the risk of a fall. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of three popular forms of alternative footwear (thong style flip-flops (FF), clog style molded plastic shoes (CC), and minimalist toe-shoes (MIN)) on postural control. METHODS: Eighteen healthy male adults (age: 22.9±2.88 years; height: 179±6.0 cm; mass: 81.3±8.8 kg) with no history of neuro-musculoskeletal disorders participated in this study. Static balance measures were recorded using eyes open (EO) and eyes closed (EC) conditions. The average sway velocity (VEL) and the root-mean-square (RMS) of the center of pressure (CoP) was used to quantify the postural sway in the anterior-posterior (APVEL & APRMS) and the medio-lateral (MLVEL & MLRMS) directions. The testing sessions consisted of a counter-balanced allocation of footwear. Pre and Post balance measures were collected separated by a one mile walk at a self-selected pace determined earlier. RESULTS: Mean sway variables analyzed using a 3×2 (footwear × time) repeated measures ANOVA revealed main effect significance for footwear (p=0.002) with pairwise comparisons revealing MIN exhibiting greater balance performance compared to clog style molded plastic shoes and the flip-flops. DISCUSSION: The MIN displayed increased balance in the EC condition, this could be attributed to the barefoot design, suggesting that the smaller sole/midsole provides a closer proximity to the supporting surface and an increase in the somatosensory and cutaneous feedback from the plantar sole, particularly in the absence of visual feedback.