Acta Gymnica 2019, 49(1):40-46 | DOI: 10.5507/ag.2019.003

Comparison of foot loading and foot strike pattern in women running in minimalist and conventional sports shoes

Soňa Jandová1,2, Jan Charousek3, Miroslav Janura2
1 Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Technical University Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic
2 Faculty of Physical Culture, Palacký University Olomouc, Olomouc, Czech Republic
3 Faculty of Science, Humanities and Education, Technical University Liberec, Liberec, Czech Republic

Background: At present, most runners use conventional sports shoes to protect and absorb the impacts that may cause overloading of the feet and joints. On the other hand, some runners tend to run almost barefoot or in minimalist footwear that may lead to foot strike pattern changes.

Objective: The aim of this study was to analyse and to compare the foot strike pattern and foot loading when running in conventional running shoes (CRS) and minimalist running shoes (MRS) in a group of recreational women runners.

Methods: A group of 14 experienced recreational women runners participated in this research. A Pedar-X system (Novel, Munich, Germany) was used to analyse the interaction of the foot with the ground while running in different type of shoes from as it relates to vertical force and plantar pressure distribution. The participants ran over a distance of 100 m with their habitual foot strike pattern in minimalist and also in conventional running shoes and data was always obtained while running along a straight 50 m long section (v = 3.33 ± 0.2 m ⋅ s-1). For assessment of the temporal and kinetics variables differences, the Wilcoxon test and the unpaired t-tests were used.

Results: Recreational women runners showed statistically significant shift of the plantar pressures towards the forefoot when running in MRS compared to CRS (p = .047). Duration of swing phase in MRS and in CRS was similar (p = .291). When running in MRS, foot loading during initial contact was significantly higher than when running in CRS. Loading in the area of midfoot and forefoot was significantly higher in MRS too.

Conclusions: Runners shifted their foot strike pattern forward when running in MRS; running in MRS may increase the foot loading and we recommend the use of minimalist footwear only after adequate foot strengthening and adaptation to avoid possible risk of foot injuries.

Keywords: pressure insole, kinetic, foot strike pattern, initial contact

Received: July 13, 2018; Accepted: February 6, 2019; Prepublished online: March 1, 2019; Published: March 31, 2019  Show citation

ACS AIP APA ASA Harvard Chicago IEEE ISO690 MLA NLM Turabian Vancouver
Jandová, S., Charousek, J., & Janura, M. (2019). Comparison of foot loading and foot strike pattern in women running in minimalist and conventional sports shoes. Acta Gymnica, 49(1), 40-46. doi: 10.5507/ag.2019.003
Download citation
  • BibTeX (.bib)
  • Bookends (.ris)
  • EasyBib (.ris)
  • EndNote (.enw)
  • EndNote 8 (.xml)
  • ISI WoS (.isi)
  • Medlars (.medlars)
  • Mendeley (.ris)
  • MODS (.xml)
  • Papers (.ris)
  • RefWorks (.txt)
  • RefManager (.ris)
  • RIS (.ris)
  • MS Word (.xml)
  • Zotero (.ris)
    • Open full article

    References

    1. Ahn, A. N., Brayton, C., Bhatia, T., & Martin, P. (2014). Muscle activity and kinematics of forefoot and rearfoot strike runners. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 3, 102-112. Go to original source...
    2. Breine, B., Malcolm, P., Frederick, E. C., & De Clercq, D. (2014). Relationship between running speed and initial foot contact patterns. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 46, 1595-1603. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    3. Chen, T. L.-W., Sze, L. K. Y., Davis, I. S., & Cheung, R. T. H. (2016). Effects of training in minimalist shoes on the intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscle volume. Clinical Biomechanics, 36, 8-13. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    4. Cheuvront, S. N., Carter, R., De Ruisseau, K. C., & Moffatt, R. J. (2005). Running performance differences between men and women. Sports Medicine, 35, 1017-1024. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    5. De Cock, A., Vanrenterghem, J., Willems, T., Witvrouw, E., & De Clercq, D. (2008). The trajectory of the centre of pressure during barefoot running as a potential measure for foot function. Gait and Posture, 27, 669-675. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    6. De Wit, B., De Clercq, D., & Aerts, P. (2000). Biomechanical analysis of the stance phase during barefoot and shod running. Journal of Biomechanics, 33, 269-278. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    7. Deaner, R. O. (2013). Physiology does not explain all sex differences in running performance. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 45, 146-147. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    8. Deflandre, D., Schwartz, C., Weerts, J.-P., Croisier, J.-L., & Bury, T. (2016). A comparison of 3D methods for identifying the stance phase in treadmill running for both rearfoot and forefoot runners. Journal of Sports Science, 4, 124-131. Go to original source...
    9. Divert, C., Mornieux, G., Baur, H., Mayer, F., & Belli, A. (2005). Mechanical comparison of barefoot and shod running. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 26, 593-598. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    10. Fellin, R., Rose, W. C., Royer, T. D., & Davis, I. S. (2010). Comparison of methods for kinematic identification of footstrike and toe-off during overground and treadmill running. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 13, 646-650. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    11. Francis, P., Ledingham, J., Clarke, S., Collins, D. J., & Jakeman, P. (2016). A comparison of stride length and lowerextremity kinematics during barefoot and shod running in well trained distance runners. Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, 15, 417-423.
    12. Hasegawa, H., Yamauchi, T., & Kraemer, W. J. (2007). Foot strike patterns of runners at the 15-km point during an elite-level half marathon. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 21, 888-893. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    13. Hayes, P., & Caplan, N. (2012). Foot strike patterns and ground contact times during high-calibre middle-distance races. Journal of Sports Sciences, 30, 1275-1283. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    14. Hein, T., & Grau, S. (2014). Can minimal running shoes imitate barefoot heel-toe running patterns? A comparison of lower leg kinematics. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 3, 67-73. Go to original source...
    15. Jandová, S., Sparks, M., Olešniewicz, P., Charousek, J., Chrástková, M., & Markiewicz, J. (2018). Changes in foot strike pattern and pressure distribution when running in minimalist and traditional running shoes. Medicina dello Sport, 71, 257-267. Go to original source...
    16. Kasmer, M. E., Ketchum, N. C., & Liu, X. C. (2014). The effect of shoe type on gait in forefoot strike runners during a 50-km run. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 3, 122-130. Go to original source...
    17. Larson, P. (2014). Comparison of foot strike patterns of barefoot and minimally shod runners in a recreational road race. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 3, 137-142. Go to original source...
    18. Larson, P., Higgins, E., Kaminski, J., Decker, T., Preble, J., Lyons, D., & Normile, A. (2011). Foot strike patterns of recreational and sub-elite runners in a long-distance road race. Journal of Sports Sciences, 29, 1665-1673. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    19. Lieberman, D. E. (2014). Strike type variation among Tarahumara Indians in minimal sandals versus conventional running shoes. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 3, 86-94. Go to original source...
    20. McDougall, C. (2009). Born to run. New York, NY: Knopf Doubleday.
    21. Miller, E. E., Whitcome, K. K., Lieberman, D. E., Norton, H. L., & Dyer, R. E. (2014). The effect of minimal shoes on arch structure and intrinsic foot muscle strength. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 3, 74-85. Go to original source...
    22. Nigg, B. M. (2010). Biomechanics of sports shoes. Calgary, Canada: Topline Printing.
    23. Paquette, M. R., Zhang, S., & Baumgartner, L. D. (2013). Acute effects of barefoot, minimal shoes and running shoes on lower limb mechanics in rear and forefoot strike runners. Footwear Science, 5, 9-18. Go to original source...
    24. Pontzer, H., Suchman, K., Raichlen, D. A., Wood, B. M., Mabulla, A. Z. P., & Marlowe, F. W. (2014). Foot strike patterns and hind limb joint angles during running in Hadza hunter-gatherers. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 3, 95-101. Go to original source...
    25. Putti, A. B., Arnold, G. P., Cochrane, L., & Abboud, R. J. (2007). The Pedar in-shoe system: Repeatability and normal pressure values. Gait and Posture, 25, 401-405. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    26. Samaan, C. D., Rainbow, M. J., & Davis, I. S. (2014). Reduction in ground reaction force variables with instructed barefoot running. Journal of Sport and Health Science, 3, 143-151. Go to original source...
    27. Vannatta, C. N., & Kernozek, T. W. (2018). Sex differences in gluteal muscle forces during running. Sports Biomechanics. Advance online publication. doi:10.1080/14763141.2018.1548641 Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    28. Weyand, P. G., Sternlight, D. B., Bellizzi, M. J., & Wright, S. (2000). Faster top running speeds are achieved with greater ground forces not more rapid leg movements. Journal of Applied Physiology, 89, 1991-1999. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    29. Whittle, M. W. (1999). Generation and attenuation of transient impulsive forces beneath the foot: A review. Gait and Posture, 10, 264-275. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...
    30. Willy, R. W., & Davis, I. S. (2014). Kinematic and kinetic comparison of running in standard and minimalist shoes. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 46, 318-323. Go to original source... Go to PubMed...

    This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0), which permits use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original publication is properly cited. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.


    Return to the content