Gym training shoe requirements in China and England

Abstract

Background: Exercising in gyms is popular worldwide, among diverse populations and with different types of training applied. However, there is a lack of knowledge about general gym training footwear requirements of gym goers. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to survey the requisites of gym footwear.Methods: Our survey comprised of 935 regular gym goers from China and England who completed supervised hard copy questionnaires of gym footwear. The questionnaire included gym footwear wearing habits, importance of shoe properties, desired degree of shoe properties, shoe problems, and foot discomfort. Data was analysed using descriptive statistics for the total population and for subgroups of country, gender, and fitness level.Results: Notably, most gym goers did not use gym-specific footwear, but running shoes. Across all gym goers fit and comfort were regarded as the most important gym shoe features, followed by outward appearance and breathability. English males considered performance enhancing shoe properties more important and English females comfort ones, with no such gender differences in China. The plantar foot region was most prone to discomfort across the total population. In China the largest shoe problem was durability, whereas in England it was foot sweating. Gym goers typically desired a rather wide, soft cushioned, flexible, light gym shoe, also providing arch support and rather high traction.Conclusion: Footwear requirements were generally comparable across countries, genders, and fitness levels, although some differences were observed. Universally, shoe comfort and appearance features were more important than features directly enhancing athletic performance, reflecting the rather moderate movements of gym exercises. Our results provide comprehensive and evidence-based guidance for gym training footwear design and related research.