Running Footstrike Patterns and Footwear in Habitually Shod Preschool Children

Abstract

IntroductionRunning skill develops during the preschool age. There is little research evidence as to how footstrike patterns are affected by footwear during this important developmental period.PurposeThe aim of this study was to compare footstrike patterns among different age groups of preschool children running in different footwear conditions.MethodsThree-dimensional kinetics and kinematics were collected while 48 typically developing children age 3 to 6 yr ran overground at self-selected speed in a barefoot condition and in minimalist and standard running shoes. Children were divided into four age groups (n = 12 per group). The key dependent variables for this study included strike index and sagittal plane ankle angle at footstrike. A two-way mixed ANOVA (3 × 4) was performed to determine possible footwear and age differences in footstrike patterns.ResultsAn interaction between footwear condition and age group was found in the ankle angle at footstrike (P = 0.030, η2 = 0.145). There was a main effect within the footwear condition across all age groups for strike index (P = 0.001, η2 = 0.337). The ankle was more plantar flexed in the barefoot and minimalist conditions compared with standard running shoes only in 6-yr-old children (P < 0.05, d > 0.8). In addition, 6-yr-old children had a more plantar flexed ankle than did 3-yr-old children when they ran barefoot (P = 0.008, d = 1.24).ConclusionsFootstrike pattern is affected by footwear in preschool children. As children get older, their footstrike pattern becomes more non-rearfoot with a more plantar flexed ankle in barefoot and minimalist shoes. On the contrary, the rearfoot–midfoot strike pattern did not change over preschool age when they wore standard running shoes.

Acute effects of footwear on running impact loading in the preschool years

“…Healthy, typically developing forty-eight Caucasian preschool children (26 boys and 22 girls aged 3-6 years) participated in this study. This is a further analysis from the data collection of children in the recent study where we reported changes in lower limb kinematics at footstrike in three different footwear conditions [13]. They were habitually shod and came from the Moravian-Silesian region in Czech Republic.…”

“…Based on the research in adult populations, we hypothesized that running barefoot and in minimalist shoes would lead to lower impact forces and loading compared to standard running shoes in all age groups of preschool children [10,21,24]. However, as recent research in preschoolers showed that 3-and 4-year-old children did not change their footstrike pattern (remained rearfoot-midfoot strike) according to footwear condition as 5-and 6-year-old who displayed a similar reaction to adults runners (shifted to forefoot strike in barefoot and minimalist) [13]. Therefore, we hypothesized that higher impact loading in barefoot and minimalist shoes compared standard running shoes in younger children, but lower in the older children.…”

“…Although running routine leads to highly commendable health bene ts, there also remains a high incidence of running-related injuries in youth and adult runners [8,9]. Therefore, some researchers suggested the importance for focusing research on children [10][11][12][13], and potentially elucidate the way children interact with environment during running from a mechanical loading perspective [13,14].…”

“…Through the type of footwear selected, parents buying footwear for their preschool children could indirectly affect their movement pattern [12]. Moreover, underlying kinematic and kinetic differences have been observed in the development of running in comparing preschool and older children running [13,25]. A recent study reported that footstrike patterns change differently in age groups of preschool children [13].…”

“…Moreover, underlying kinematic and kinetic differences have been observed in the development of running in comparing preschool and older children running [13,25]. A recent study reported that footstrike patterns change differently in age groups of preschool children [13]. As we know, children are not little adults and we should be very cautious with application of knowledge from research in adult populations and transfer it to children, particularly to the youngest when running skill is still developing.…”