Somatosensory perception of running shoe mass is similar for both sexes

Abstract

Somatosensory perception of running shoe mass has not been studied in females, and so it is also unclear whether it differs between the sexes. Seventy-five young adults (50 females, 25 males) participated across two experiments to determine mass perception accuracy when hands vs. feet were used, and whether relative shoe mass range influenced experimental outcomes. Somatosensory perception of running shoe mass was similar for both sexes (regardless of the relative range of shoe mass), and hands were more accurate than feet, especially when hefting multiple models simultaneously vs. one-at-a-time. If shoe mass is an important consideration for consumers when trying shoes in retail settings, they should trust the perception of their hands more than their feet.