The effects of Footwear on Standing Posture Control.

Abstract

Abstract. Influences on dynamic balance were examined by comparing footwear with clog thongs such as slippers with clog thongs, to footwear without them such as slippers without clog thongs, leather-soled sandals, and Japanese socks. Forty three university students in good health took part in this examination. In the case of footwear with clog thongs, postural response latencies to horizontal movement of the platform were decreased when compared with that for slippers without clog thongs. In the case of footwear with clog thongs, standing strength was decreased when the platform moved horizontally, compared with that for slippers without clog thongs. Among footwear with clog thongs, in the case of Japanese socks, both latency and strength were minimal compared to slippers with clog thongs and leather-soled sandals. Therefore, it can be said that footwear with thin soles, low heels and clog thongs the most stable and the best for preventing a fall.

Postural Control in Workplace Safety: Role of Occupational Footwear and Workload

“…They also play a significant role in relaying afferent somatosensory and proprioceptive sensory information from the environment and the feet, to the postural control system, aiding in maintaining postural stability. Previous studies have reported the impact of different footwear types, identifying both advantageous and disadvantageous effects in maintaining postural stability that were attributed to specific design characteristics, such as heel height, mass, boot shaft height and flexibility, mid and outer-sole thickness, slip-resistant outsoles, lacing types and material of the footwear [4,5,[12][13][14][15][16].…”

Impact on balance while walking in occupational footwear

“…Balance decrements were found with prolonged exposure to different surfaces such as an inclined surface (Wade and Davis 2009) and with different flooring materials (Cham and Redfern 2001). An increased physical workload or muscular fatigue has been shown to increase postural sway and thereby decrease balance performance (Hosoda et al 1998, Yaggie and MacGregor 2002, Gribble and Hertel 2004. These decrements in balance due to prolonged standing and walking may be pronounced with the lack of appropriate footwear in occupational settings.…”

“…The type of footwear is also an important determinant of balance as it serves as the medium between the foot and support surface and affects somatosensory feedback mechanisms. Design characteristics of footwear, such as midsole hardness, shoe elevation, heel elevation, boot shaft height, and boot shaft stiffness have been shown to heavily impact postural control strategies and balance (Robbins et al 1992, Hosoda et al 1998, Cikajlo and Matjacic 2007, Hijmans et al 2007, Menant et al 2008a, Bohm and Hosl 2010. Occupational footwear, while designed for safety and protection may not be best suited for balance maintenance.…”

“…Balance mechanisms during static and dynamic postures have been studied extensively and, consequently, there have been several studies assessing balance in relation to different types of surfaces exposed such as types of flooring (Cham and Redfern 2001), inclined surfaces (Wade and Davis 2009), ballast (Andres et al 2005), sand (Pinnington et al 2004) and also with different type and intensity of workload that are placed on the human body and their effects on balance (Hosoda et al 1998, Yaggie and McGregor 2002, Gribble and Hertel 2004, Menant et al 2008a, 2008b. Research has also focused on comparing different commonly used footwear and its effects on balance (Robbins et al 1992, Hosoda et al 1998, Cikajlo and Matjacic 2007, Hijmans et al 2007, Menant et al 2008a, 2008b, Bohm and Hosl 2010 with little focus on occupational footwear.…”

Effects of Toe Grasp Training for the Aged on Spontaneous Postural Sway.

“…Hosoda et al 12,13) also observed that footwear is a factor influencing postural balance and should not be overlooked. It will be necessary to consider these criteria in future studies.…”