PURPOSE A substantial amount of rotational energy is lost at the metatarsophalangeal joint during running and jumping. We hypothesized that the lost energy could be decreased by increasing the bending stiffness of shoe midsoles. The purposes of this investigation were to determine the influence of stiff shoe midsoles on changes in lower extremity joint power during running and jumping and to de...

AIMS The recurrence of foot ulcers is a significant problem in people with diabetic neuropathy. The purpose of this study was to measure in-shoe plantar pressures and other characteristics in a group of neuropathic patients with diabetes who had prior foot ulcers which had remained healed. METHODS This was an epidemiological cohort study of patients from diabetes clinics of two Swedish hospit...

To determine if the height of a basketball shoe alters the maximal inversion and eversion moment that can be actively resisted by the ankle in the frontal plane, we tested 20 healthy, young adult men with no recent ankle injuries. Subjects underwent unipedal functional ankle strength testing under weightbearing conditions at 0 degrees, 16 degrees, and 32 degrees of ankle plantar flexion using a...

Barefoot running kinematics has been described to vary considerably from shod running. However, previous investigations were typically based on externally mounted shoe and/or skin markers, which have been shown to overestimate skeletal movements. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare calcaneal and tibial movements of barefoot versus shod running using skeletal markers. Intracortical bo...

We have developed a compact, wireless, wearable, shoe-mounted sensor package that is designed to provide continuous and real-time monitoring of gait for clinical biomotion analysis. This paper discusses the initial design of our hardware, consisting of a sensor-laden insole and a removable instrumented shoe attachment. Information about the three-dimensional motion, relative position, and press...

The flattening of digitized surfaces is still very important in design of thin walled objects such as the airplane wings, parts of car bodies, textile products, and shoe uppers. Especially in shoe industry, the ability of quick respond to changing market needs is essential for successful competition. To give needed flexibility to a shoe designer, special CAD CAM systems have been developed. Tho...

OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether shoe-wearing affords foot protection among school children living in southern Ethiopia. METHODS Data collectors conducted a standardized foot assessment with children in an elementary school in southern Ethiopia (N=168). RESULTS 54% reported wearing shoes consistently in the prior three days. Children wearing closed-toed shoes showed less adherent soil and toe ...

Pressure measurements were made at four sites on the right foot of six normal subjects while they walked in a standard shoe, conventional padded cast, total contact cast, and again in a shoe. No differences in mean relative pressure were found between the padded cast and the total-contact cast. Significant reductions in mean relative pressure were found between the standard shoe and walking cas...

The advent of the “Running Boom” in the late 1970’s coincided with the introduction of the first “technical” running shoe products incorporating cushioned soles and features intended to stabilize the foot during ground contact. The sensation of comfort provided by cushioned running shoes appears to have facilitated the participation of many “joggers” who would otherwise not have taken up the sp...

There has been little scientific investigation of the impact of dance shoes on foot motion or dance injuries. The pointed (plantar-flexed) foot is a fundamental component of both the technical requirements and the traditional aesthetic of ballet and jazz dancing. The aims of this study were to quantify the externally observed angle of plantar flexion in various jazz shoes compared with barefoot...