Biomechanical features of fit of a trail shoe with different uppers during graded running

Abstract

Footwear uppers are of high interest to researchers, yet there are few investigations performed on the topic (Honert et al., 2020). A recent study showed that footwear closures can impact heel hold, foot eversion velocity, and running speed while trail running (Honert et al., 2023). It is beneficial to evaluate footwear on ecologically valid terrain; yet outcome metrics can only be obtained from wearable sensors. The benefit of in-lab studies is the myriad of measurements available to evaluate footwear, at the cost of overly constraining protocols that limit generalizability. For instance, the Distal Rearfoot power estimates foot and shoe dissipation due to the heel fat pad and shoe cushioning (Honert et al., 2022). Theoretically, a poor fitting shoe would move around the foot more resulting in more energy dissipation as compared to a better fitting shoe. It is currently unknown if this biomechanical measure is sensitive to footwear fit.