Influence of in-shoe heel lifts on plantar pressure and center of pressure in the medial–lateral direction during walking

Abstract

The aim of this study was to investigate how the height and material of in-shoe heel lifts affect plantar pressure and center of pressure (COP) trajectory in the medial–lateral direction during walking. Seventeen healthy young male adults were asked to walk along an 8m walkway while wearing a high-cut flat shoe and 5 different heel lifts. Peak pressure (PP), pressure–time integral (PTI) and contact area (CA) were measured by Pedar insole system for three foot regions: forefoot, midfoot and heel. Range and velocity of medial–lateral (ML) COP during forefoot contact phase (FFCP) and foot flat phase (FFP) were collected using Footscan pressure plate. Forefoot pressure and ML-COP parameters increased as the heel was elevated. Statistically significant attenuation of heel peak plantar pressure was provided by all heel lifts except for the hard lift. Post hoc tests suggest that material had a greater influence on the range and velocity of ML-COP during FFCP than heel height, while during FFP, heel height seemed to affect these parameters more. The findings from this study suggest that thick heel lifts should be used with caution, and that a heel lift made of materials with good support and elastic properties might be more appropriate to improve footwear comfort and medial–lateral motion control.