Adding an arch support to a heel lift improves stability and comfort during gait

Heel lifts have been widely used as a conservative treatment for some musculoskeletal problems and complaints. However, the heel rise caused by heel lifts may also affect the plantar pressure distribution and stability during walking. This study aimed to test whether adding an arch support to a heel lift would improve its stability and comfort through comparing the center of pressure (COP) during walking and subjective ratings between heel lifts with and without an arch support. Fifteen healthy male participants were asked to walk along an 8m walkway while wearing high-cut footwear with the control heel lifts and the heel lifts with an arch support. A Footscan pressure plate was used to measure the COP during walking. Subjective ratings including medial-lateral control, dynamic foot/shoe fitting and overall comfort were assessed for each participant. The results showed that compared to the control condition, the COP trajectory was medially shifted during stance phase of gait in the arch support condition. The maximum displacements and velocity of medial-lateral COP in the forefoot contact phase were smaller in the arch support condition than in the control condition. Adding an arch support to a heel lift also significantly improved the subjective ratings in terms of the medial-lateral control, dynamic foot/shoe fitting and overall comfort. The findings of this study suggest that adding an arch support to a heel lift could improve its stability and comfort during walking.