Benefits of a curved forefoot plate in a women's walking shoe

Abstract

Curved carbon fiber plates have demonstrated metabolic and performance benefits in distance running shoes (Hoogkamer et al. 2018). The purpose of this series of studies was to evaluate whether curved plates specifically designed for women’s walking shoes provided benefits during walking. We hypothesized that a contoured plate would reduce range of motion and work at the metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint without increasing the ankle plantarflexion moment during walking. Further, we hypothesized that these biomechanical benefits would translate to perceivable benefits after all day use.