Abstract
This study evaluated the effect of socks (different in fiber type) and the effect of not wearing a sock on perceptions of thermal comfort in relation to changes in foot skin temperature and shoe microclimate (temperature and humidity) during rest and exercise. Ten females completed five trials on separate occasions. Four socks (cotton, wool, polyester, Coolmax) and no sock were evaluated. Trials were conducted at 23°C, 50% relative humidity and consisted of rest (10 min seated), treadmill running (40 min, 7.5 km·h−1) and recovery (15 min seated). Foot skin temperature and shoe microclimate were measured at seven sites on the right foot. Foot skin hydration was measured at nine foot sites. Perceptual responses were recorded. Foot thermo-physiological and foot perceptual responses were similar for all sock conditions ( p > 0.05). Similar foot thermo-physiological responses were also observed between the sock and no sock conditions ( p > 0.05). Interestingly, however, not wearing a sock resulted in greater perceptions of foot wetness, stickiness and discomfort ( p < 0.05). As tactile interactions caused by foot movement within the shoe are strong predictors of foot wetness perception (a key contributor to wear discomfort), socks are important in reducing the tactile cues generated. The sock is therefore an important area for development and relevant for overall improvements in footwear comfort.
Highlights
IntroductionThis study evaluated the effect of socks (different in fiber type) and the effect of not wearing a sock on perceptions of thermal comfort in relation to changes in foot skin temperature and shoe microclimate (temperature and humidity) during rest and exercise
This study evaluated the effect of socks and the effect of not wearing a sock on perceptions of thermal comfort in relation to changes in foot skin temperature and shoe microclimate during rest and exercise
The aim of this study was threefold: (1) to investigate the impact of wearing socks on thermophysiological responses and perceptions of comfort in comparison with not wearing a sock; (2) to determine whether socks of different fiber types affect foot Tsk and shoe microclimate during rest and exercise; and (3) to assess whether socks of different fiber types affect our perceptions of comfort
Summary
This study evaluated the effect of socks (different in fiber type) and the effect of not wearing a sock on perceptions of thermal comfort in relation to changes in foot skin temperature and shoe microclimate (temperature and humidity) during rest and exercise. Several human wear trials have been employed to investigate the role of sock fiber type on thermophysiological responses during running.[6,7,8,9] Socks composed of either natural or synthetic fibers and natural/ synthetic fiber blends have been reported to elicit no differences in foot Tsk[6,8,9] or moisture accumulation in the sock.[8] Surprisingly, the perception of temperature and moisture between socks of different fiber types have been reported to be different This did not always cause greater discomfort to the wearer,[6,8] participants perceived their feet as warmer and wetter for cotton socks or socks with a higher cotton fiber count during activity.[6,7,8] The results from these studies suggest that socks affect our perceptions of temperature and wetness within the shoe but have little thermo-physiological impact. The sock is recognized to be an important component within the foot-shoe system, the thermo-physiological and perceptual impact of not wearing a sock has not be investigated
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