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26 April 2002

Research takes a step forward

By Alison Handmer

While many footwear companies advertise that their shoes help prevent injuries, evidence to support their claims is difficult to pin down.

But researchers in the University's Faculty of Health Sciences are starting to shed light on the intricate movements of the foot as it interacts with the ground and the wearing of shoes. The work may eventually help manufacturers to design shoes that successfully provide comfort, absorb shock, control foot motion and even prevent injury.

What began 10 years ago as research into the movement of the foot evolved about three years ago into exploration of the effects of various shoes on the mechanics of the foot, said Dr Richard Smith, Associate Professor in Biomechanics and research manager of the School of Exercise and Sport Science.

The research reflects the growing interest in exercise and the changing technology of shoe production.

"The first City to Surf I did was in Volley OCs, and the sound of all the runners was different to what it is today," said Professor Smith. "Shoes were fairly rigid and you'd hear them 'plop plopping' as they hit the ground. Now it is more of a 'whoosh whoosh'."

Currently, studies centre around "overpronation", the tendency of the foot to roll inwards on impact.

Athlete's foot: Vivienne Chuter is investigating the natural efficiencies of going barefoot.

While for most of the population this causes no problems, it can cause knee injuries and lower back pain, particularly among regular runners.

"It is part of the shock absorbing process of the feet and allows a natural movement of the body, but if it is excessive or minimal, there can be injuries or pain.

"If it is very exaggerated it can be a problem for recreational runners or serious sportspeople."

Working with his students and laboratory manager Ray Patton, Professor Smith has devised a unique way of tracing the foot's movement as it makes contact with the ground during a walk, run or jog. A "wand" is attached through a hole in the back of the shoe to a band of metal around the heel of a person's foot, adding to detailed information from other markers on the foot and the leg. The data is processed in real time, so that relative movement among the forefoot, rearfoot and leg segments can be calculated immediately.

Michael Kinchington, a Masters by Research student, conducted the initial validation and reliability trials and Renee Attwell, an honours student, and Vivienne Chuter, a PhD student, have been using different designs of the wand in their studies under Professor Smith's supervision.

The research is designed to help health professionals and consumers make informed judgements about treatment of foot disorders, the prevention of injuries and the selection of appropriate footwear.

"People experiencing problems with their feet are referred to us by sports medicine doctors and foot specialists for the pathological groups," said Professor Smith.

Students and staff form the control groups, with the leg and foot movements of 150 subjects studied in detail so far, with and without various styles of shoe.

Differences between males and females have been investigated but differences due to age and weight have yet to be explored.

"We would like to investigate step turns in rugby and other stresses placed on the feet and ankles in various sports such as netball and basketball, and to find out which shoes work best for different types of feet and legs," said Professor Smith.

"So far we have been able to show that shoes severely limit the range of motion of the midfoot and compensate by causing the ankle joint, or rearfoot, to have a greater range of motion. Shoes have also been shown to affect pronation, but in ways that appear to be difficult to predict."

In other work, Vivienne Chuter is working on how shoes can be designed to make better use of the natural efficiencies of barefoot mechanics.

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