Advancements in Biomechanical Gait Analysis: Implications for Footwear Biomechanics and Sports Injury Prevention

A special issue of Bioengineering (ISSN 2306-5354). This special issue belongs to the section "Biomechanics and Sports Medicine".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2025 | Viewed by 148

Special Issue Editors

Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong, China
Interests: gait biomechanics; footwear biomechanics; computational simulation
Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
Interests: gait biomechanics; sports shoes; sports injuries

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Guest Editor
Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China
Interests: lower limb biomechanics; musculoskeletal bioengineering; computational simulation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

In recent years, the field of biomechanical gait analysis has experienced significant advancements, offering profound insights into human movement. This Special Issue focuses on the implications of these advancements for footwear biomechanics and sports injury prevention.

Biomechanical gait analysis involves the study of human locomotion through the application of advanced technologies such as motion capture systems, wearable sensors, and computational modeling. These tools enable the precise assessment of gait patterns, providing critical data for optimizing footwear design and developing strategies to mitigate sports-related injuries.

Footwear biomechanics plays a crucial role in enhancing athletic performance and reducing injury risk. By integrating gait analysis data, researchers and designers can create footwear that better supports natural movement patterns, adapts to individual biomechanical needs, and enhances overall stability and comfort.

Sports injuries, often resulting from abnormal gait mechanics, pose significant challenges to athletes and healthcare providers. This Special Issue will explore innovative approaches to injury prevention, including the use of personalized footwear solutions and the application of machine learning algorithms to predict injury risk based on gait analysis data.

We also aim to highlight interdisciplinary collaborations that bridge the gap between biomechanics, sports science, and footwear design. Contributions may include case studies, technological innovations, and theoretical models that advance our understanding of gait mechanics and their practical applications.

We invite researchers to submit their cutting-edge research, methodologies, and insights to further the field of biomechanical gait analysis and its impact on footwear biomechanics and sports injury prevention.

Dr. Yang Song
Dr. Dong Sun
Dr. Xuanzhen Cen
Guest Editors

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Keywords

  • human locomotion
  • motion capture technology
  • wearable sensors
  • biomechanical modeling
  • injury risk assessment
  • personalized footwear design
  • machine learning in biomechanics
  • sports science integration

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

41 pages, 35264 KiB  
Article
A New Method and Set of Parameters for Evaluating the Cushioning Effect of Shoe Heels, Revealing the Inadvertent Design of Running Shoes
by Franz Konstantin Fuss, Tizian Scharl and Niko Nagengast
Bioengineering 2025, 12(5), 467; https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering12050467 - 28 Apr 2025
Viewed by 23
Abstract
According to standards, the heel soles of running shoes are currently tested with an energy absorption of 5 J. This study offers an alternative method to improve the measurement of cushioning properties. The new method uses the ratio of absorbed energy to applied [...] Read more.
According to standards, the heel soles of running shoes are currently tested with an energy absorption of 5 J. This study offers an alternative method to improve the measurement of cushioning properties. The new method uses the ratio of absorbed energy to applied force and determines the maximum of this ratio (optimum or shoulder point) and the associated optimal force, energy, and displacement. This method was applied to 112 shoe models using compression testing. The method was found to be insensitive to strain rates and identified shoes that were over-, well-, or under-designed (running before, at, or after the shoulder point, respectively) relative to the range of the first ground reaction force peak (0.700–2 kN). The optimum ratio was between 0.6 J/kN (barefoot shoes) and 11.2 J/kN (Puma RuleBreaker), the optimal energy was between 0.5 and 40.6 J, the optimal force was between 0.1 and 4.6 kN, and the optimal displacement was between 3 and 23 mm. Participants ran at or near the shoulder point (within the design forgiveness range) unless they were too heavy and ran at their preferred running speed. This study proposes replacing current standards with the new method, allowing consumers to make informed decisions regarding injury prevention while running. Full article
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