title: Assessing Footwear Effects from Principal Features of Plantar Loading during Running.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effects of footwear on the musculoskeletal system are commonly assessed by interpreting the resultant force at the foot during the stance phase of running. However, this approach overlooks loading patterns across the entire foot. An alternative technique for assessing foot loading across different footwear conditions is possible using comprehensive analysis tools that extract different foot loading features, thus enhancing the functional interpretation of the differences across different interventions. The purpose of this article was to use pattern recognition techniques to develop and use a novel comprehensive method for assessing the effects of different footwear interventions on plantar loading.
  
  
  METHODS
  A principal component analysis was used to extract different loading features from the stance phase of running, and a support vector machine (SVM) was used to determine whether and how these loading features were different across three shoe conditions.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The results revealed distinct loading features at the foot during the stance phase of running. The loading features determined from the principal component analysis allowed successful classification of all three shoe conditions using the SVM. Several differences were found in the location and timing of the loading across each pairwise shoe comparison using the output from the SVM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The analysis approach proposed can successfully be used to compare different loading patterns with a much greater resolution than has been reported previously. This study has several important applications. One such application is that it would not be relevant for a user to select a shoe or for a manufacturer to alter a shoe's construction if the classification across shoe conditions would not have been significant.
authors: Human Performance Laboratory, Faculty of Kinesiology, University of Calgary, Calgary, Calgary, Alberta, CANADA.
authors: Matthieu B
authors: MB
authors: Trudeau
authors: Vinzenz
authors: V
authors: von Tscharner
authors: Jordyn
authors: J
authors: Vienneau
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Hoerzer
authors: Benno M
authors: BM
authors: Nigg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001696:Biomechanical Phenomena; D004867:Equipment Design; D005260:Female; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011312:Pressure; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012775:Shoes; D016474:Weight-Bearing; D055815:Young Adult