The position of medial dual density midsole elements in running shoes does not influence biomechanical variables

Abstract

Although the concept of dual density as medial support has barely been considered in footwear biomechanics research and lacks scientific proof of functionality, it has been established as a commercially popular system to influence rearfoot motion in running shoes. The goal of this study was to analyse the influence of systematically varied positions of medial dual density midsole elements in running shoes on kinematic and kinetic running variables. Seven identical running shoes with midsole density of 52 Asker C were systematically modified by incorporating medial midsole elements with dual density of 62 Asker C. The dual density position varied from rearfoot to midfoot in six of seven shoes; one shoe remained without medial dual density midsole element. Statistical procedures included nonparametric Friedman tests and repeatability coefficients, which are recommended for use as an indicator for strength of association of measured effect in investigations. Results showed no reduction and no linear trend in the measured rearfoot motion variables across shoe conditions. Hence, the effectiveness of medial dual density applications to alter rearfoot motion variables during running remains questionable.

A Single Gyroscope Can Be Used to Accurately Determine Peak Eversion Velocity during Locomotion at Different Speeds and in Various Shoes

“…They compared angular velocities in the frontal plane obtained from an optoelectronic system and a gyroscope and found an MD of 77.9 deg/s. The greatest MD found in our study (49.8 ± 46.9 deg/s) was distinctly lower than the repeatability coefficient found by Oriwol et al [7] when investigating within-subject variability of the maximum eversion velocity (169.0 deg/s). This means that our MDs were within the limits of total measurement variability, and therefore were considered non-relevant.…”

“…In this context, studies have reported that high eversion velocities could be associated with medial tibial stress syndrome [1][2][3]. Aside from investigating injuries, previous studies examined the influence of footwear construction or foot orthoses [1,[4][5][6][7], exhaustion [8], and running pace [9] on maximum eversion velocity and the time until it occurs.…”

The Effect of the Accelerometer Operating Range on Biomechanical Parameters: Stride Length, Velocity, and Peak Tibial Acceleration during Running

“…When using these sensors, spatio-temporal and kinetic parameters during walking and running can be analyzed in clinical as well as in sportive applications. For kinetic measurements, for example, when investigating the impact loads on lower limbs during running under various conditions (e.g., footwear conditions or the influence of fatigue), the peak tibial acceleration (PTA) was examined by some authors using MEMS [ 7 , 8 , 9 , 10 , 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ]. Thereby, unidirectional accelerations along the longitudinal axis of the tibia, as well as medio-lateral and anterior-posterior accelerations of the tibia were examined.…”

Segmented midsole hardness in the midfoot to forefoot region of running shoes alters subjective perception and biomechanics during heel-toe running revealing potential to enhance footwear

“…Despite the commercial success of dual density shoe designs it is noteworthy that harder medial midsole inserts do not increase biomechanical rearfoot stability in all cases. For instance, rather short medial midsole hardness inserts of 60 mm length, exhibiting a relative hardness increase of 10 Asker C points, did not increase biomechanical rearfoot stability during heel-toe running compared to a shoe without such medial hardness (Oriwol, Sterzing, & Milani, 2011). In this study, also the proximal to distal position of the medial inserts did not influence rearfoot stability of runners.…”