Effect Of Running Shoes on Foot Impact During Running

TL;DR

This study investigates how running shoes influence impact forces on the foot during running, demonstrating that shoes significantly reduce effective mass and potential injury risk.

Contribution

The paper introduces a method using force sensors to quantify impact forces and effective mass, providing new insights into how running shoes mitigate injury risks.

Findings

Running shoes reduce effective mass from 14.9% to 7.8% of body mass.

Wearing shoes significantly lowers impact forces during running.

Results suggest shoes decrease injury risk associated with impact forces.

Abstract

Running is part of almost every sport, and requires a great amount of stamina, endurance, mental toughness and overall strength. At every step, the foot experiences ground reaction forces necessary to support the motion of the body. With the advancements in shoe technology, running shoes have grown in popularity among runners, as well as non-runners, because they reduce the risk of injuries from the impact felt by the foot. The purpose of this report is to analyze the effect of running shoes on impact forces on the foot. This is achieved through the use of three force pads fixed at different locations on the foot The force measured by each sensor is then used to estimate the vertical ground reaction force, using the sensors' calibrations equations . Based on the ground reaction force, the effective mass corresponding to the momentum change occurring during the transient phase of the impact is estimated. The results show that running at 9 miles per hour without running shoes generates an effective mass of (14.9 +/- 4.8)% of the total body mass, while running at the same speed with running shoes generates an effective mass of (7.8 +/- 1.5 )% of the total body mass. The values highlight a significant reduction in the risk of pain or injuries accomplished by wearing running shoes