Search Results (15)

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

Background/objectives: In this paper, we review and discuss epidemiological and experimental evidence on the effects of daily footwear on gait and life-long health. We consider different types of footwear, including “minimal shoes”, and their design features, comparing them to barefoot walking, with a focus on overall gait and the function of the heel pad. Methods: Narrative review. Results: We find little evidence for health benefits of most typical shoe design features (e.g., cushioning, raised heels or arch support) for normal walking in healthy individuals, and in several cases (e.g., high heels), there is evidence of detrimental health effects. Conclusions: Based on currently available evidence, we recommend minimal footwear as the default for the general population to stimulate healthy biomechanical aging, with other types of footwear used infrequently or when there is an individual or clinical need. Full article

The purpose of this study was to compare the mechanical properties of a non-cushioned minimalistic shoe and cushioned shoe during walking at 6 and running at 10 and 14 km∙h⁻¹ in habituated female runners. Twelve habituated female runners completed two trials (cushioned shoe vs. minimalist shoe) with three within-trial speeds (6, 10, and 14 km∙h⁻¹) in a counter-balanced design. Flexible pressure insole sensors were used to determine kinetic variables (peak vertical impact force, average loading rate, active vertical peak force, time to active peak vertical force, and impulse) and spatiotemporal variables (stride duration, cadence, ground contact time, swing time, and time to midstance). Cushioned running shoes exhibited greater energy absorption (690%), recovered energy (920%), and heat dissipation (350%). The cushioned shoes significantly reduced peak vertical impact (~12%) and average loading rate (~11%) at running speeds 10–14 km∙h⁻¹. However, these effects were not observed during walking, nor did the cushioned shoes influence peak active force, impulse, stride duration, ground contact or swing time. Cushioned running shoes provide significant benefits in energy absorption, energy recovery, and heat dissipation, which decrease impact-related forces and loading rates in female runners without changing the spatiotemporal variables of gait. Full article

One of the recommendations for individuals with knee osteoarthritis (OA) is the use of specific footwear, such as sturdy or cushioned shoes. However, the long-term use effects of using cushioned shoes on the pain and spatiotemporal gait parameters in individuals with knee OA are yet to be reported. We therefore aimed to compare the efficacy of cushioned sport footwear versus sham shoes on motor functions, pain and gait characteristics of individuals with knee OA who used the shoes for 3 months. In a double-blinded study, we provided 26 individuals with knee OA with cushioned sport shoes and 12 individuals with knee OA with similar sport shoes without cushioning for 3 months. The gait analysis, the timed up and go (TUG) test and the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Arthritis Index (WOMAC) were conducted and the pain levels were measured at the baseline, 1 month, and 3 months after the baseline. We found that the cushioned shoes reduce the amount of pain (based on WOMAC) in the affected knee and increase functionality in the research group, but not in the control group. Gait velocity and cadence were increased in both groups. Gait spatiotemporal parameters and their symmetry were unaffected during the intervention. We conclude that the use of cushioned shoes should be recommended to individuals with knee OA for alleviating pain. Full article

It has been reported that the new technology applied to current racing shoes has increased the performance of runners who use this kind of footwear. This improvement has been proven in the scientific literature in relation to oxygen consumption. Nevertheless, as it is a novel topic, there is a lack of knowledge about which specific features achieve a decrease in oxygen consumption during running. Thus, the purpose of this study was to determine the influence of the features of footwear, specifically the shoe mass, the cushioning system, the longitudinal bending stiffness and the comfort feeling on running economy. This review was carried out from the bibliographic search in the main databases such as PubMed, Cochrane Plus and Medline and considering the PRISMA statement as a reference so that an analysis of the results has been obtained together with the methodological quality and risk of bias of the studies. Nineteen articles met the inclusion criteria, which presented a moderate/high methodological quality, and an analysis of their results was carried out. Footwear features such as the shoe mass, the cushioning system and the longitudinal bending stiffness produce advantages compared to other footwear that does not include this technology. Due to the lack of evidence, the influence of comfort feeling on oxygen consumption has not been proved. Full article

The sole is a key component of the interaction between foot and ground in daily activities, and its cushioning performance plays a crucial role in protecting the joints of lower limbs from impact injuries. Based on the excellent cushioning performance of the ostrich foot and inspired by the structure and material assembly features of the ostrich foot’s metatarsophalangeal skeletal–tendon and the ostrich toe pad–fascia, a functional bionic cushioning unit for the midsole (including the forefoot and heel) area of athletic shoes was designed using engineering bionic technology. The bionic cushioning unit was then processed based on the bionic design model, and the shoe soles were tested with six impact energies ranging from 3.3 J to 11.6 J for a drop hammer impact and compared with the conventional control sole of the same size. The results indicated that the bionic forefoot area absorbed 9.83–34.95% more impact and 10.65–43.84% more energy than the conventional control forefoot area, while the bionic heel area absorbed 26.34–44.29% more impact and 28.1–51.29% more energy than the conventional control heel area when the controlled impact energy varied from 3.3 J to 11.6 J. The cushioning performance of the bionic cushioning sole was generally better than that of the conventional control sole, and the cushioning and energy-absorption performances of the heel bionic cushioning unit were better than those of the forefoot bionic cushioning unit. This study provides innovative reference and research ideas for the design and development of sports shoes with good cushioning performance. Full article

Paratroopers are highly susceptible to lower extremity impact injuries during landing. To reduce the ground reaction force (GRF), inspired by the cat paw pad and triply periodic minimal surface (TPMS), a novel type of bionic cushion sole for paratrooper boots was designed and fabricated by additive manufacturing. A shear thickening fluid (STF) was used to mimic the unique adipose tissue with viscoelastic behavior found in cat paw pads, which is formed by a dermal layer encompassing a subcutaneous layer and acts as the primary energy dissipation mechanism for attenuating ground impact. Based on uniaxial compression tests using four typical types of cubic TPMS specimens, TPMSs with Gyroid and Diamond topologies were chosen to fill the midsole. The quasi-static and dynamic mechanical behaviors of the bionic sole were investigated by quasi-static compression tests and drop hammer tests, respectively. Then, drop landing tests at heights of 40 cm and 80 cm were performed on five kinds of soles to assess the cushioning capacity and compare them with standard paratrooper boots and sports shoes. The results showed that sports shoes had the highest cushioning capacity at a height of 40 cm, whereas at a height of 80 cm, the sole with a 1.5 mm thick Gyroid configuration and STF filling could reduce the maximum peak GRF by 15.5% when compared to standard paratrooper boots. The present work has implications for the design of novel bioinspired soles for reducing impact force. Full article

Inspired by the performance of the ostrich in terms of loading and high-speed moving ability, the purpose of this study was to design a structure and material on the forefoot and heel of the middle soles of sports shoes based on the high cushioning quality of the ostrich toe pad by applying bionic engineering technology. The anatomical dissection method was used to analyze the ostrich foot characteristics. The structure and material of the bionic shock absorption midsole were designed according to the principles of bionic engineering and reverse engineering. F-Scan and numerical simulation were used to evaluate the bionic shock absorption midsole performance. The results showed that the bionic shock absorption midsole decreased the peak pressure (6.04–12.27%), peak force (8.62–16.03%), pressure–time integral (3.06–12.66%), and force–time integral (4.06–10.58%) during walking and brisk walking. In this study, the biomechanical effects to which the bionic shock absorption midsole structure was subjected during walking and brisk walking exercises were analyzed. The bionic midsole has excellent shock resistance. It is beneficial for the comfort of the foot during exercise and might reduce the risk of foot injuries during exercise. Full article

Purpose: this study aimed to investigate the footwear cushioning effects on impact forces and joint kinematics of the lower extremity during bipedal drop landings before and after acute exercise-induced fatigue protocol. Methods: in this case, 15 male collegiate basketball athletes performed drop landings from a 60 cm platform wearing highly-cushioned shoes (HS) and less cushioned shoes (control shoes, CS) before and after acute fatigue-inducing exercises (i.e., shuttle run combined with multiple vertical jumps). Force plates and motion capturing systems were synchronised to measure ground reaction forces and kinematic data during drop landings. Maximum jump height was analysed with one-way ANOVA. Two-way repeated measure ANOVAs were performed on each of the tested variables to examine if there was significant main effects of shoe and fatigue as well as the interaction. The significance level was set to 0.05. Results: rearfoot peak impact forces and loading rates significantly reduced when the participants wore HS in pre- and post-fatigue conditions. The peak loading rates in forefoot significantly reduced when HS were worn in post-fatigue. Compared with pre-fatigue, wearing HS contributed to with 24% and 13% reduction in forefoot and rearfoot peak loading rates, respectively, and the occurrence times of first and second peak impact forces and loading rates were much later. In the post-fatigue, a significant increase in the initial contact and minimum angles of the ankle were observed in HS compared with CS. Conclusion: these findings suggest that footwear cushioning can reduce landing-related rearfoot impact forces regardless of fatigue conditions. In a situation where the neuromuscular activity is reduced or absent such as post-fatigue wearing better cushioning shoes show superior attenuation, as indicated by lower forefoot and rearfoot impacts. Full article

Many industries are labor-intensive and energy- and resource-consuming. A sustainable development plan is necessary for the industries as industrial structures have been changing recently. Taiwan’s shoe industry also has experienced such changes and requires a sustainable product development plan for continuous development. Therefore, this study aims to propose a new method by introducing a model of sustainable product development to facilitate the sustainable development of the industry. By taking air-cushioned casual shoe production as an example, this study suggested the refined Kano quality model for exploring the product attributes that improved the customers’ satisfaction. The refined Kano model that was established with interviews and questionnaire surveys was effective to define the product attributes that contributed to satisfying the customers and understanding their perception of product attributes. In the air-cushioned casual shoe production, the model found function, design, innovation, marketing, and service to be important for manufacturers to develop products with limited. It also suggested the priority be put on the attributes of high value-added quality, key quality, and potential quality. The model helped manufacturers decide which product attributes they need to invest in and develop. The relation of product attributes and consumer satisfaction for a sustainable product development model was also found by using the refined Kano model. The result of this study is expected to apply to various industries for establishing an appropriate sustainable product development model. Full article

The aim of this study is to investigate the link between the cushioning feature of running shoes in objective and subjective measurements (OM and SM). In OM, four insoles materials were chosen after impact tests (S1 = 12.6 g, S2 = 7.2 g, G = 11.54 g, and E = 32.41 g). In SM (n = 19), perceived cushioning comfort of insoles was measured using pairwise comparison tests and a Visual analogue scale (VAS) during running. Lower impact peak (IP) leads to greater perceived comfort of cushioning only between S1, S2 and G. But insole E with the highest IP was rated as the most comfortable in cushioning. Its relationship can be explained by associating acceleration magnitudes from the beginning contact to the IP in two possible ways: i) participants did not reach the critical impact peak in SM or ii) participants perceived the critical impact peak, but other factors such as energy rebound and perceived stability influenced their rating in the pairwise comparison tests. Full article

For many runners, mechanical characteristics of running shoes, such as cushioning ability, are important in finding their suitable shoes. In addition to that, subjective comfort has come to be regarded as a non-negligible factor these days. According to previous studies, it has been found that more comfortable shoe conditions are associated with less oxygen consumption and fewer injury frequencies as compared to the less comfortable shoe conditions. However, there is also the fact that the shoes that they feel comfortable with are different from runner to runner, and it still remains unclear why the runners consider their shoes comfortable. Therefore, in this study, we tried to find the differences between several groups with different shoe preferences, applying an equilibrium-point (EP)-based muscle synergy analysis to know the reason why runners consider the shoes comfortable. As a result of the study, it was found that ankle EP velocity could distinguish between the groups classified by shoe preference. This fact indicates that some force-related parameters calculated from posture and stiffness affect the feeling of comfort. Full article

Objective: Our study aim is to identify and describe the definitions used for different types of running shoes. In addition, we highlight the existence of gaps in these concepts and propose possible new approaches. Methods: This review was undertaken in line with the guidelines proposed by Green et al., based on a literature search (until December 2019) of the PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, SPORTDiscus and Google Scholar databases. A total of 23 papers met the inclusion criteria applied to identify the definition of running shoes. Results: Although there is a certain consensus on the characteristics of minimalist footwear, it is also described by other terms, such as barefoot-style or barefoot-simulating. Diverse terms are also used to describe other types of footwear, and in these cases, there is little or no consensus regarding their characteristics. Conclusions: The terms barefoot-simulated footwear, barefoot-style footwear, lightweight shoes and full minimalist shoes are all used to describe minimalist footwear. The expressions partial minimalist, uncushioned minimalist and transition shoes are used to describe footwear with non-consensual characteristics. Finally, labels such as shod shoes, standard cushioned running shoes, modern shoes, neutral protective running shoes, conventional, standardised, stability style or motion control shoes span a large group of footwear styles presenting different properties. Full article

Running shoes typically have a lifespan of 300–1000 km, and the plantar pressure pattern during running may change as the shoe wears. So, the aim of this study was to determine the variation of plantar pressures with shoe wear, and the runner’s subjective sensation. Maximun Plantar Pressures (MMP) were measured from 33 male recreational runners at three times during a training season (beginning, 350 km, and 700 km) using the Biofoot/IBV^® in-shoe system (Biofoot/IBV^®, Valencia, Spain). All the runners wore the same shoes (New Balance^® 738, Boston, MA, USA) during this period, and performed similar training. The zones supporting most pressure at all three study times were the medial (inner) column of the foot and the forefoot. There was a significant increase in pressure on the midfoot over the course of the training season (from 387.8 to 590 kPa, p = 0.003). The runners who felt the worst cushioning under the midfoot were those who had the highest peak pressures in that area (p = 0.002). The New Balance^® 738 running shoe effectively maintains the plantar pressure pattern after 700 km of use under all the zones studied except the midfoot, probably due to material fatigue or deficits of the specific cushioning systems in that area. Full article

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the relationship between foot loading and comfort perception in two basketball shoes during basketball-specific maneuvers. Methods: Twelve male collegiate basketball players were required to complete three basketball maneuvers (i.e., side-step cutting, 90° L-direction running, and lay-up jumping) in two basketball shoe conditions (shoe L and shoe N, with different midsole cushioning types). Two Kistler force plates and a Medilogic insole plantar pressure system were used to collect kinetic data (i.e., impact force, peak loading rate, and plantar pressure variables). Perception scales were used to evaluate comfort perception. Results: No significant difference was observed between the two shoes during maneuvers in terms of ground reaction force. However, the plantar pressure of shoe L in the midfoot and lateral foot regions was significantly greater than that of shoe N during side-step cutting and lay-up jumping. Shoe N was significantly superior to shoe L, especially in dynamic scale in terms of the perception of comfort. The plantar pressure and perception characteristics in the two shoes were significantly different but inconsistent with each other. Conclusion: The biomechanical characteristics of the shoes themselves and the perception evaluation of the athletes should be considered in comprehensive shoe-cushioning design and evaluation. Full article