Effects Of Footwear Research Articles

Effects of minimalist and maximalist footwear on Achilles tendon load in recreational runners

The current investigation aimed to comparatively examine the effects of minimalist, maximalist and conventional footwear on Achilles tendon forces (ATF) during running. Twelve male runners (age 23.11±5.01 years, height 1.78±0.10 cm and body mass 77.13±7.89 kg) ran at 4.0 m/s in the three footwear conditions. ATF’s were calculated using Opensim software allowing the magnitudal and temporal aspects of the ATF to be quantified. Differences between footwear were examined using one-way repeated measures ANOVA. The results showed the peak ATF was significantly larger in minimalist footwear (5.97±1.38 body weight (BW)) compared to maximalist (5.07±1.42 BW). In addition it was revealed that ATF per mile was significantly larger in minimalist (492.31±157.72 BW) in comparison to both maximalist (377.31±148.06 BW) and conventional (402.71±125.51 BW) footwear. Given the relationship between high ATF and Achilles tendon degradation, the current investigation indicated that minimalist footwear may increase runners risk for Achilles tendon injury.

The effect of custom foot orthotics and footwear on first-step pain in people with plantar heel pain: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

The effect of custom foot orthotics and footwear on first-step pain in people with plantar heel pain: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial

The effects of stability footwear on ACL-relevant knee biomechanics during landing in women

The effects of stability footwear on ACL-relevant knee biomechanics during landing in women

Effect of footwear on minimum foot clearance, heel slippage and spatiotemporal measures of gait in older women

Footwear has been implicated as a factor in falls, which is a major issue affecting the health of older adults. This study investigated the effect of footwear with dorsal fixation, slippers and bare feet on minimum foot clearance, heel slippage and spatiotemporal variables of gait in community dwelling older women. Thirty women participated (mean age (SD) 69.1 (5.1) years) in a gait assessment using the GaitRITE and Vicon 612 motion analysis system. Conditions included footwear with dorsal fixation, slippers or bare feet. Footwear with dorsal fixation resulted in improved minimum foot clearance compared to the slippers and bare feet conditions and less heel slippage than slippers and an increase in double support. These features lend weight to the argument that older women should be supported to make footwear choices with optimal fitting features including dorsal fixation. Recommendations of particular styles and features of footwear may assist during falls prevention education to reduce the incidence of foot trips and falls.

The Effect of Lateral Wedge and Textured Lateral Wedge Insole on Static Balance in People with Functional Ankle Instability

Introduction: Footwear with a curved “rollover” sole is prescribed to improve walking capability. Shoes with a curved sole profile have been reported to alter ankle, knee and hip kinematics and posture and thought to able to modify head and neck, and trunk posture. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of rollover footwear on standing posture of head and neck, and trunk in healthy females. Materials and Methods: Ten healthy female volunteers were recruited (mean age 24.5 ± 1.8). Three dimensional positions of 11 retro-reflective markers attached over spinal column and forehead were recorded using 7 motion capture camera system (100 Hz) during standing under two randomized. Results: rollover footwear compared to the barefoot condition, decreased significantly the radius of lumbar curve by 11.24% (P = 0.006). The radius of thoracic curve increased by 4.45% wearing rollover footwear but this did not reach statistical significance (P = 0.460). The sagittal angle of head and neck relative to the transverse plane did not change significantly (P = 0.470). Conclusion: (1) barefoot; (2) Rollover footwear. Each condition repeated 3 times. Head and trunk posture in the sagittal plane were quantified using the lumbar and thoracic radii and sagittal angle between head and neck, and the laboratory transverse plane. The results were statistically analyzed using the paired t-test test and P < 0.05 was considered for statistical significance of differences.

Influence of unstable footwear on lower leg muscle activity, volume change and subjective discomfort during prolonged standing

PurposeThe present study was an attempt to investigate the effect of unstable footwear on lower leg muscle activity, volume change and subjective discomfort during prolonged standing. MethodsTen healthy subjects were recruited to stand for 2 h in three footwear conditions: barefoot, flat-bottomed shoe and unstable shoe. During standing, lower leg discomfort and EMG activity of medial gastrocnemius (MG) and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles were continuously monitored. Changes in lower leg volume over standing time also were measured. ResultsLower leg discomfort rating reduced significantly while subjects standing on unstable shoe compared to the flat-bottomed shoe and barefoot condition. For lower leg volume, less changes also were observed with unstable shoe. The activity level and variation of right MG muscle was greater with unstable shoe compared to the other footwear conditions; however regarding the left MG muscle, significant difference was found between unstable shoe and flat-bottomed shoe only for activity level. Furthermore no significant differences were observed for the activity level and variation of TA muscles (right/left) among all footwear conditions. ConclusionsThe findings suggested that prolonged standing with unstable footwear produces changes in lower leg muscles activity and leads to less volume changes. Perceived discomfort also was lower for this type of footwear and this might mean that unstable footwear can be used as ergonomic solution for employees whose work requires prolonged standing.

Effects of conventional and minimalist footwear on patellofemoral and Achilles tendon kinetics during netball specific movements

Netball is a physically demanding sport that is associated with a high incidence of chronic injuries. Currently there is a trend towards the utilisation of minimalist footwear in netball players as opposed to more conventional netball trainers. The current investigation aimed to examine the effects of netball specific and minimalist footwear on patellofemoral and Achilles tendon loads during netball specific motions. Fifteen female netballers performed both run and cut movements when wearing conventional netball footwear and also a minimalist trainer. Kinematics of the lower extremities were quantified using a motion analysis system alongside ground reaction force information which was obtained using a force platform. Patellofemoral force (PTF), patellofemoral pressure (PP) and Achilles tendon forces (ATF) were quantified using predictive methods and examined between footwear using repeated measures ANOVA. The results indicate that patellofemoral loads (run – PTF: netball specific = 5.56 / minimalist = 4.74 body weight (BW); – PP: netball specific = 13.17 / minimalist = 11.89 MPa; cut – PTF: netball specific = 5.65 / minimalist = 4.82 BW; – PP; netball specific = 14.05 / minimalist = 12.88 MPa) were significantly larger in the conventional footwear compared to minimalist in both movements. Achilles tendon forces (run: netball specific = 4.43 / minimalist = 5.47; cut: netball specific = 4.32 / minimalist = 5.29 BW) were however significantly larger in the minimalist compared to the conventional footwear. Taking the proposed association between knee loading and patellofemoral pathology, the risk from knee injuries in netballers may be reduced via minimalist footwear. However, taking into account the equivalent increases in Achilles tendon forces, this may increase the likelihood of overuse Achilles tendon injuries.

Assessing Footwear Effects from Principal Features of Plantar Loading during Running.

The effects of footwear on the musculoskeletal system are commonly assessed by interpreting the resultant force at the foot during the stance phase of running. However, this approach overlooks loading patterns across the entire foot. An alternative technique for assessing foot loading across different footwear conditions is possible using comprehensive analysis tools that extract different foot loading features, thus enhancing the functional interpretation of the differences across different interventions. The purpose of this article was to use pattern recognition techniques to develop and use a novel comprehensive method for assessing the effects of different footwear interventions on plantar loading. A principal component analysis was used to extract different loading features from the stance phase of running, and a support vector machine (SVM) was used to determine whether and how these loading features were different across three shoe conditions. The results revealed distinct loading features at the foot during the stance phase of running. The loading features determined from the principal component analysis allowed successful classification of all three shoe conditions using the SVM. Several differences were found in the location and timing of the loading across each pairwise shoe comparison using the output from the SVM. The analysis approach proposed can successfully be used to compare different loading patterns with a much greater resolution than has been reported previously. This study has several important applications. One such application is that it would not be relevant for a user to select a shoe or for a manufacturer to alter a shoe's construction if the classification across shoe conditions would not have been significant.

Neuro-mechanical adjustments to shod versus barefoot treadmill runs in the acute and delayed stretch-shortening cycle recovery phases

In habitually shod recreational runners, we studied the combined influence of footwear and stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) fatigue on treadmill running pattern, paying special attention to neuro-mechanical adjustments in the acute and 2-day delayed recovery periods. The SSC exercise consisted of a series of 25 sub-maximal rebounds on a sledge apparatus repeated until exhaustion. The acute and delayed functional fatigue effects were quantified in a maximal drop jump test. The neuro-mechanical adjustments to fatigue were examined during two submaximal treadmill run tests of 3 min performed either barefoot or with shoes on. Surface electromyographic (EMG) activities, tibial accelerations and kinematics of the right lower limb were recorded during the first and last 15 s of each run. The main result was that neuro-mechanical differences between the shod and barefoot running patterns, classically reported in the absence of fatigue, persisted in the fatigued state. However, in the delayed recovery phase, rearfoot eversion was found to significantly increase in the shod condition. This specific footwear effect is considered as a potential risk factor of overuse injuries in longer runs. Therefore, specific care should be addressed in the delayed recovery phase of SSC fatigue and the use of motion control shoes could be of interest.

The effect of orthotics on intersegmental foot kinematics and the EMG activity of select lower leg muscles

BackgroundPersons with exertional related leg pain are managed using orthoses. This study aimed to determine the effectiveness of two orthoses in altering foot motion and muscle activity in symptomatic individuals. Methods52 subjects with lower extremity pain complaints of a non-traumatic, mechanical origin received one of two orthoses. Foot kinematics and EMG activity were recorded while treadmill walking in 3 footwear conditions. The peak EMG activity of the sandal and sandal orthotic trials (normalized to peak barefoot values) and foot motion during 4 subphases of stance were obtained. Using a multivariate multilevel model via linear mixed models, the effect of orthoses within these phases on motion and EMG was determined. ResultsAn effect of orthotic type was not present for any of the rearfoot or forefoot motions (p>.10). A significant effect of footwear and orthotic type on first ray motion (p<.05) during subphases 2 and 4 was seen. During subphase 4 an interaction effect between footwear condition and orthotic type on tibialis posterior EMG activity (p=.036) was present. ConclusionOrthoses are unable to control rear or midfoot motion but appear to control first ray motion and during late stance, affect tibialis posterior muscle activity.Public trials registry number: NCRT02143947.

Effects of footwear on driver clubhead speed on in amateur golfers: classical vs. Bayesian inference

"Effects of footwear on driver clubhead speed on in amateur golfers: classical vs. Bayesian inference." Footwear Science, 7(sup1), pp. S166–S167

A preliminary investigation of the immediate effects of footwear and custom foot orthotics on the foot in patients with plantar fasciopathy

Plantar fasciopathy or plantar fasciitis is one of the most common presentations of foot pain to allied health practitioners (Hill et al., 2008). To treat plantar fasciopathy, foot orthotics in con...

Footwear effects on lower extremity coordination

During both walking and running, barefoot gait is associated with a reduced stride length and higher cadence. Similarly, significant differences in joint kinematics have been reported during barefo...

Walking on a natural substrate and on an artificial substrate: the effect of indigenous footwear

The influence of modern lifestyle, including the use of footwear, appears to effect foot function (Fong Yan et al., 2013; Hoffmann, 1905; Zipfel & Berger, 2007;). D'Aout et al. (2009) and Kandamban...

Effects of turf and cleat footwear on plantar load distribution

Metatarsal fractures and midfoot sprains are common injuries in American football (Carreira & Sandilands, 2013; Osbahr et al., 2014). In addition to significant time lost from sport, both injuries ...

Effects of footwear condition on maximal jumping performance.

The purpose of this investigation was to examine the effects of footwear on kinetics and lower extremity electromyographic (EMG) activity during the vertical jump (VJ) and standing long jump. Fifteen men performed the 2 jump types in 3 footwear conditions: barefoot, minimal shoes, and cross-training shoes. Jump displacement and kinetic data were collected, along with EMG activity of the biceps femoris, medial gastrocnemius, peroneus longus, semitendinosus/semimembranosus, soleus (SOL), tibialis anterior, vastus lateralis, and vastus medialis. Subjective footwear performance and comfort were also assessed with a custom survey. No differences were found in jump displacement, peak ground reaction forces (GRF), countermovement and propulsive phase durations, vertical impulse, peak countermovement, or average propulsive EMG activity. Significant differences in peak propulsive root mean square EMG were found between barefoot and minimal shoes (p = 0.030) and minimal shoes and shod (p = 0.031) conditions for the SOL during the VJ, and for average countermovement EMG of the semitendinosus/semimembranosus during the VJ between barefoot and shod (p = 0.039). Moderate-to-large effect sizes (>0.59) were found between conditions for horizontal GRF, propulsive phase duration, average EMG amplitude, and duration of EMG activity during the countermovement. Participants reported higher comfort ratings when shod compared with barefoot and minimal shoes for both jumps. Participants also perceived better performance when shod compared with barefoot and minimal shoes for the VJ only. No acute differences in displacement were observed between barefoot, minimal shoes, and cross-trainer shoes during vertical and horizontal jumps. Some differences in muscle activation and timing seem to be present, and thus, training effects between footwear conditions should be examined. Footwear familiarization may prove beneficial, as acute increases in comfort seem unrelated to performance improvements.

Comparison of minimalist footwear strategies for simulating barefoot running: a randomized crossover study.

Possible benefits of barefoot running have been widely discussed in recent years. Uncertainty exists about which footwear strategy adequately simulates barefoot running kinematics. The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of athletic footwear with different minimalist strategies on running kinematics. Thirty-five distance runners (22 males, 13 females, 27.9 ± 6.2 years, 179.2 ± 8.4 cm, 73.4 ± 12.1 kg, 24.9 ± 10.9 km.week-1) performed a treadmill protocol at three running velocities (2.22, 2.78 and 3.33 m.s-1) using four footwear conditions: barefoot, uncushioned minimalist shoes, cushioned minimalist shoes, and standard running shoes. 3D kinematic analysis was performed to determine ankle and knee angles at initial foot-ground contact, rate of rear-foot strikes, stride frequency and step length. Ankle angle at foot strike, step length and stride frequency were significantly influenced by footwear conditions (p<0.001) at all running velocities. Posthoc pairwise comparisons showed significant differences (p<0.001) between running barefoot and all shod situations as well as between the uncushioned minimalistic shoe and both cushioned shoe conditions. The rate of rear-foot strikes was lowest during barefoot running (58.6% at 3.33 m.s-1), followed by running with uncushioned minimalist shoes (62.9%), cushioned minimalist (88.6%) and standard shoes (94.3%). Aside from showing the influence of shod conditions on running kinematics, this study helps to elucidate differences between footwear marked as minimalist shoes and their ability to mimic barefoot running adequately. These findings have implications on the use of footwear applied in future research debating the topic of barefoot or minimalist shoe running.

Heel contact dynamics in alternative footwear during slip events

IntroductionSlips, trips and an induced loss of balance have been identified as the major causative factor for workplace injuries involving falls. Moreover, alternative footwear such has crocs and flip flops have been used in and around work places, especially with the usage of crocs in slip prone hospital settings. PurposeThe purpose of the study is to analyze the effects of alternative footwear [crocs (CC), flip-flops (FF)] and industry standard slip resistant shoes (LT) on heel dynamics during slip events. MethodsEighteen healthy male participants following a repeated measures design for each footwear condition, were tested for heel kinematics during normal dry surface gait (NG); unexpected slip (US), alert slip (AS) and expected slip (ES). A 3×4 repeated measures ANOVA was used to analyze the dependent slip parameters (heel slip distance-HSD & mean heel slip velocity-MHSV) at p = 0.05. ResultsSignificant interactions between footwear and gait trials were found for HSD & MHSV, with significantly greater slip parameters exhibited by CC & FF compared to LT during US. ConclusionAlternative footwear (CC & FF) demonstrated greater slips, but were limited to slip events that were unexpected. With the knowledge and anticipation of slippery flooring conditions, participants were able to lower the slip parameters by kinematically modifying heel contact dynamics. The LT had significantly lower slip parameters and maintained a normal gait pattern for all slip trials, and demonstrates to be the choice of footwear for maneuvering slippery flooring conditions; while alternative footwear combined with unexpected slip events contributed to potentially hazardous and hazardous slips. Relevance to IndustryAlternative footwear such as crocs are widely used in hospitals which are slip prone environments. This study provides evidence that these alternative footwear may predispose to hazardous slips and recommends the use of slip resistant footwear or slip resistant modifications to alternative footwear under known or unknown slippery conditions.

Effects of load carriage and footwear on spatiotemporal parameters, kinematics, and metabolic cost of walking

Gait patterns are commonly altered when walking or running barefoot compared to shod conditions. Although controversy exists as to whether barefoot conditions result in lower metabolic costs, it is clear that adding load to the body results in increased metabolic costs. The effects of footwear and backpack loading have been investigated separately, but it is unclear whether manipulating both simultaneously would cause similar outcomes. Twelve healthy individuals (7 female, 5 male) with no obvious gait abnormalities participated in this study (age=24±2 years, height=1.73±0.13m, and mass=71.1±16.9kg). Steady state metabolic data and 3D motion capture were collected during treadmill walking at 1.5ms−1 in four conditions: Barefoot Unloaded, Shod Unloaded, Barefoot Loaded, and Shod Loaded. Barefoot walking elicited shorter stride lengths, stance and double support times, as well as a slight (≈1%), but not significant, decrease in metabolic cost. Loading increased metabolic costs of walking but did not elicit spatiotemporal changes in either footwear condition. Lower limb kinematic differences were noted in response to both loading and footwear. Changes in spatiotemporal parameters observed when walking barefoot were not exacerbated by the addition of a backpack load. This suggests that the increased metabolic demand associated with the load is met with a similar spatiotemporal pattern whether a person wears a supportive shoe or not. Thus, the discomfort associated with foot strike while barefoot that promotes spatiotemporal changes seems to be independent of load.

The Effect of Footwear on Acute, Static and Dynamic Balance

It is common belief that Zero Drop (ZD) shoes and minimalist (MN) shoes provide users with better stability than do traditional (TR) shoes due to the attempt to mimic barefoot (BF). Testing the dynamic and static balance in each type of shoe, gives further insight into whether ZD and/or MN shoes provide additional balance during activities. Balance is very important in movement, being able to increase balance just by wearing the correct shoe could be advantageous. PURPOSE: To examine static and dynamic balance between the different types of running shoes. METHODS: Participants include 14 males and 13 females with and average age of 24.3 years old. They were recruited by word of mouth and volunteered for the study. Participants first completed a consent form and questionnaire approved by UVU-IRB then participated in the 8 trials. The 8 trials were performed on a BioDex SD Balancing System and consisted of performing two sets of static balancing for 20 seconds for the first trial, then repeated with a dynamic set of balancing. This was repeated using the following conditions; TR, ZD, MN, and BF performed in a randomized order. The two trials were averaged for the analysis. Repeated measures ANOVA (α=0.05) was used to analyze the data. RESULTS: Overall static balance was only significantly different between (TR and BF, p=.033), with anterior/posterior balance being significant between (TR and BF p=.042; TR and MN p=.017). During the dynamic condition there was no difference in the medial/lateral in all trials and conditions. There was no significant differences between any of the static trials. CONCLUSION: Due to the raised heel of traditional running shoes, the postural stability and balance is compromised. The thickness of the sole seems to be less of an important factor as the results from ZD and MN shoes showed no significant difference, however both shoes results in better balance than TN shoes, this trend would suggest that there is a move towards greater balance with the zero-drop philosophy. While this study recommends barefoot positioning provides better stability, more research is needed to address Zero Drop and minimalist shoes.