A new footwear technology to promote non-heelstrike landing and enhance running performance: Fact or fad?

Abstract

This study sought to compare the kinetics and kinematics data in a group of habitual shod runners when running in traditional running shoes and newly designed minimalist shoes with lug platform. This novel footwear design claims to simulate barefoot running and reduce energy loss during impact. We compared footstrike angle (FSA), vertical average (VALR) and instantaneous (VILR) loading rates, energy loss and initial vertical stiffness between two shoe conditions. Runners demonstrated a decreased FSA while running in minimalist shoes with lug platform than traditional shoes (P = 0.003; Cohen's d = 0.918). However, we did not observe a landing pattern transition. VALR and VILR between two footwear conditions showed no significant difference (P = 0.191-0.258; Cohen's d = 0.304-0.460). Initial vertical stiffness (P = 0.032; Cohen's d = 0.671) and energy loss (P = 0.044; Cohen's d = 0.578) were greater when running in minimalist shoes with lug platform. The results show that minimalist shoes with lug platform reduce the FSA but may not lead to a landing pattern switch or lower vertical loading rates. Interestingly, the new shoe design leads to a greater energy loss than traditional running shoes, which could be explained by a higher initial vertical stiffness.

Biomechanical effects following footstrike pattern modification using wearable sensors

“…27 VILR for each step was extracted from the vertical ground reaction force data by a method described in previous study. 27 Specifically, a local maximum within the first 50 ms after initial contact was identified as the vertical impact peak, whereas the force value at 13% stance phase would be used for any footfalls without discernible peaks within the first 50 ms. 29 VILR was then calculated as the maximum rate of change bounded within 20% and 80% of the impact peak, and further normalized by body weight. Stride length and cadence were calculated according to methods described in a previous study.…”

Foot strike pattern, step rate, and trunk posture combined gait modifications to reduce impact loading during running

“…PTA was calculated as the peak tibial acceleration after initial contact from the xaxis of the inertial measurement unit aligned with the longitudinal direction of the tibia. Vertical loading variables were computed based on previously established methods Cheung and Rainbow, 2014;Milner et al, 2006;Zhang et al, 2017). Specifically, VIP was identified as the impact transient that was generated when foot first contacted the ground.…”

Effects of deceptive footwear condition on subjective comfort and running biomechanics

“…The left lower limb was selected as the test limb. Marker trajectories were filtered using a low‐pass, fourth‐order Butterworth filter with cutoff frequency set at 8 Hz, and lower limb joint angles were calculated using a dynamic gait model toolbox (Nexus 1.8, Vicon). GRF data were filtered and processed using customized MATLAB codes (The MathWorks, Inc).…”

“…GRF data were filtered and processed using customized MATLAB codes (The MathWorks, Inc). GRF data were filtered using a low‐pass, fourth‐order Butterworth filter with cutoff frequency set at 50 Hz . Time of initial foot‐ground contact and toe‐off were defined by the time the vertical GRF crossed a threshold of 10 N .…”