Segmented Forefoot Plate in Basketball Footwear: Does it Influence Performance and Foot Joint Kinematics and Kinetics?

Abstract

This study examined the effects of shoes' segmented forefoot stiffness on athletic performance and ankle and metatarsophalangeal joint kinematics and kinetics in basketball movements. Seventeen university basketball players performed running vertical jumps and 5-m sprints at maximum effort with 3 basketball shoes of various forefoot plate conditions (medial plate, medial + lateral plates, and no-plate control). One-way repeated measures ANOVAs were used to examine the differences in athletic performance, joint kinematics, and joint kinetics among the 3 footwear conditions (α = .05). Results indicated that participants wearing medial + lateral plates shoes demonstrated 2.9% higher jump height than those wearing control shoes (P = .02), but there was no significant differences between medial plate and control shoes (P > .05). Medial plate shoes produced greater maximum plantar flexion velocity than the medial + lateral plates shoes (P < .05) during sprinting. There were no significant differences in sprint time. These findings implied that inserting plates spanning both the medial and lateral aspects of the forefoot could enhance jumping, but not sprinting performances. The use of a medial plate alone, although induced greater plantar flexion velocity at the metatarsophalangeal joint during sprinting, was not effective in improving jump heights or sprint times.

Effects of foot orthoses on dynamic balance and basketball free-throw accuracy before and after physical fatigue

“…In addition, the medial arch-support orthoses allowed participants to maintain stability using a narrow area of support, which was considered to be more difficult than a wider area of support (Zemkova 2014;Zemkova and Hamar, 2010). While previous studies have indicated the positive effects of foot orthoses on dynamic balance of people with old age (Ma et al, 2018) and neuro-musculoskeletal disorders (Lusardi and Nielsen, 2007), this study further demonstrated the beneficial effects in basketball playing.…”

“…After having the anthropometrical measurements, participants wore a new pair of standard socks and test basketball shoes (Wade 6, Li Ning, Beijing, China) to prevent the potential influences due to the socks and footwear (Ho et al, 2019;Lam et al, 2018;Liu et al, 2017;Nin et al, 2016). They were then instructed to administer a 10-min self-instructed warm-up including stretching and jogging and then familiarise themselves with the testing tasks and footwear condition, which was comparable with previous studies on basketball footwear and orthoses (Ho et al, 2019;Lam et al, 2018;Liu et al, 2017;Nin et al, 2016). **** Fig.…”

Foot orthoses alter lower limb biomechanics but not jump performance in basketball players with and without flat feet

“…The forefoot, which is used more during jumps, may not be affected by the prefabricated foot orthoses used in our study and therefore may not be effective in enhancing jumping performances. Other jumping studies on basketball footwear have shown that changing the forefoot structures (e.g., bending stiffness) of a shoe can play an important role in jumping performance [25, 28]. Future studies may consider if a forefoot varus wedge and segmented stiffness insoles may improve jumping performances in basketball players.…”

Influence of basketball shoe midsole inserts featuring different mechanical rebound properties on biomechanical loading and subjective perception during a side-cutting maneuver

“…The inconsistent results in perceptual response to shoe mechanical properties in the literature may be due to the various shoe prototype designs, placement of the inserts, and methods in evaluating subjective perception. 17,32 In this study, the four shoe conditions had subtle mechanical differences regarding the inserts. In addition, the inserts were framed by an identical midsole; hence, the biomechanical effects may not be very prominent, making it also difficult for participants to notice.…”