title: The effects of shoes with a rounded soft sole in the anterior-posterior direction on leg joint angle and muscle activity.
abstract: This study examines the effect of these shoes on the leg joint angle and muscle activity during walking. Ten healthy young male adults (mean age: 24.1±4.3 years) walked on a walkway while wearing one of three kinds of shoes with a rounded soft sole in the anterior-posterior direction (Stretch Walker: SW, mass: 440 g), MBT (Masai Barefoot Technology; similar to the SW in form and material, mass: 600 g), and flat-bottomed shoes (FS, mass: 420 g)). After familiarizing themselves with the shoes, subjects walked twenty laps on the walkway, which was about 40 m long (mean speed: 4.1 km/h). After a sufficient rest, they repeated this with the other shoes. During walking, the volume of muscle discharge was measured once every 2 laps. The mean value of the 10 measurements was used as the evaluation variable for integral values and joint angle, while the right foot touched the ground twice. In conclusion, the range of leg movement during walking was smaller when wearing shoes with a rounded soft sole in the anterior-posterior direction (SW and MBT) than when wearing normal shoes (FS). However, the effects of the SW and MBT on leg muscle activity during walking differ little from wearing the normal shoes during a leisurely 10-min walk.
authors.affiliation: Graduate School of Natural Science & Technology, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Ishikawa, Japan. tomodemu@ed.kanazawa-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Demura
authors.forename: Shin-ichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Demura
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004576:Electromyography; D004867:Equipment Design; D005684:Gait / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007596:Joints / Q000502:physiology*; D035002:Lower Extremity / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000502:physiology*; D016059:Range of Motion, Articular / Q000502:physiology; D012775:Shoes; D016138:Walking / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult