The Effect Of Commonly Used Alternative Footwear On Balance

Abstract

Footwear is the critical link between the human body and environment by connecting the foot to the ground surface; and different types of footwear are shown to have varying effects on human balance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the differences in balance prior and after a transient low intensity workload while donning three alternative footwear: crocs (CC), flip flops (FF), and vibram minimalist shoes (MIN). METHODS: Eighteen healthy male adults (age: 22.9±2.88 years; height: 179±6.0 cm; mass: 81.3±8.8 kg) participated in this study following a repeated measures design separated by a minimum of 72 hrs. Balance was assessed by the Eyes Open (EO) and Eyes Closed (EC) conditions of the Sensory Organization Test (SOT) on the Neurocom Equitest System using the equilibrium score (EQ score - higher EQ scores representing better balance) while donning alternative footwear assigned using counter-balanced measures, prior to and after a one mile walk at a self-selected pace. RESULTS: The (3×2) (Footwear × Time) repeated measures ANOVA revealed significant differences in the EO condition for main effect time (p = 0.02) and between footwear during EC condition (p = 0.003). Post-hoc pairwise comparisons using a Bonferroni correction revealed significantly lower EQ score for post-test balance compared to pre-test during EO and significantly greater EQ score for MIN compared to CC during EC. CONCLUSION: The one mile walk caused a decrement in static balance in EO, which may be attributed to the workload suggesting possible localized muscular fatigue. The results of the EC condition suggest MIN allows for greater static balance compared to CC, which may be attributed to the barefoot design feature of the minimalist shoes, suggesting a greater availability of somatosensory feedback, with no visual information.