Article

The aim of this study was to investigate how the height and material of in-shoe
heel lifts affect plantar pressure and center of pressure (COP) trajectory in the
medial-lateral direction during walking. Seventeen healthy young male adults were
asked to walk along an 8m walkway while wearing a high-cut flat shoe and 5
different heel lifts. Peak pressure (PP), pressure-time integral (PTI) and
contact area (CA) were measured by Pedar insole system for three foot regions:
forefoot, midfoot and heel. Range and velocity of medial-lateral (ML) COP during
forefoot contact phase (FFCP) and foot flat phase (FFP) were collected using
Footscan pressure plate. Forefoot pressure and ML-COP parameters increased as the
heel was elevated. Statistically significant attenuation of heel peak plantar
pressure was provided by all heel lifts except for the hard lift. Post hoc tests
suggest that material had a greater influence on the range and velocity of ML-COP
during FFCP than heel height, while during FFP, heel height seemed to affect
these parameters more. The findings from this study suggest that thick heel lifts
should be used with caution, and that a heel lift made of materials with good
support and elastic properties might be more appropriate to improve footwear
comfort and medial-lateral motion control.
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Langue : ANGLAIS