Australian secondary school principals’, parents’, and students’ attitudes to prescribed school footwear

The Immediate Biomechanical Effects of a Flat, Flexible School Shoe in Adolescents with Patellofemoral Pain

“…One study demonstrated a small reduction in PFJ reaction force during walking (35), but this was performed on adults in high-heeled footwear, which is not representative of the type of footwear adolescents typically wear day-to-day. A reduction in PFJ reaction force during walking may be important for adolescents with PFP as they accumulate up to 115 min of light physical activity during school hours (20), in addition to any active transport to and from school (19). Adults with knee osteoarthritis involved in a trial of flat, flexible footwear report mean wear time of 8.2 h in these shoes per day (36).…”

“…It is unclear if the observed changes would persist after the immediate adaptation to the shoe or across a variety of terrains or speeds, or with repeated shoe wear. Finally, a recent survey of secondary school students reported that adolescents typically wear their school shoes 3 d out of a 5-d school week (19). It is unclear if 3-d wear of flat, flexible footwear is a sufficient duration to observe any clinical effect.…”

“…Adolescents often spend more than 8 h per day in school shoes, accumulating up to 115 min of light physical activity, 28 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity, and 223 min of sedentary time during each school day (19,20). More than 85% of respondents in a recent school shoe survey reported that black, leather lace up shoes were required for secondary school students to wear to school (19).…”

“…Adolescents often spend more than 8 h per day in school shoes, accumulating up to 115 min of light physical activity, 28 min of moderate to vigorous physical activity, and 223 min of sedentary time during each school day (19,20). More than 85% of respondents in a recent school shoe survey reported that black, leather lace up shoes were required for secondary school students to wear to school (19). Traditional school shoes are often designed with an elevated heel and stability features including a rigid midsole and heel counter, characteristics that have been shown to increase PFJ reaction force (15).…”

“…Traditional school shoes are often designed with an elevated heel and stability features including a rigid midsole and heel counter, characteristics that have been shown to increase PFJ reaction force (15). More than 70% of adolescents who experience lower limb musculoskeletal pain report that their pain is exacerbated when wearing school shoes (19). Considering that adolescents spend prolonged periods of time in their school footwear and report worsening pain in these shoes, identifying the effect of flat, flexible school footwear on knee joint kinematics and kinetics is needed.…”