Impact of School Shoes on Children's Foot Motion
Author Information
Author(s): Wegener Caleb, Smith Richard, Hunt Adrienne, Vanwanseele Benedicte, Greene Andrew, Burns Joshua
Primary Institution: The University of Sydney
Hypothesis
Do school shoes affect the rearfoot and midfoot motion of healthy children while walking?
Conclusion
Traditional school shoes restrict children’s foot motion during walking, especially at the midfoot.
Supporting Evidence
- Shoes decreased midfoot range of motion in the frontal plane from 3.4° to 1.7° (p=0.002).
- Shoes decreased midfoot range of motion in the transverse plane from 22.0° to 11.6° (p<0.001).
- Shoes reduced rearfoot range of motion in the frontal plane from 12.0° to 9.6° (p=0.026).
- Shoes reduced midfoot range of motion in the sagittal plane from 19.6° to 10.8° (p<0.001).
- Shoes reduced midfoot range of motion in the transverse plane from 10.1° to 4.3° (p<0.001).
Takeaway
Wearing school shoes can make it harder for kids to move their feet normally when they walk.
Methodology
Twelve children walked barefoot and in school shoes while their foot motion was recorded using a 3D motion analysis system.
Limitations
The study focused only on healthy children and did not assess long-term effects.
Participant Demographics
Five boys and seven girls, mean age 9 years, range 5-13 years.
Statistical Information
P-Value
p=0.002, p<0.001, p=0.026
Statistical Significance
p<0.001
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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