The Effects of a Custom-Designed High-Collar Shoe on Muscular Activity, Dynamic Stability, and Leg Stiffness: A...

Area of Science:

• Biomechanics
• Sports Medicine
• Footwear Engineering

Background:

• Lateral ankle sprains are common during high-demand activities.
• High-collar shoes offer a biomimetic solution for ankle injury prevention.
• The specific impact of collar stiffness on running biomechanics is not well understood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the effect of varying collar stiffness (CS) in biomimetic high-collar shoes on running biomechanics.
• To assess how CS influences muscular activity, dynamic stability, and leg stiffness (Kleg).
• To understand the role of circumferential ankle pressure (CAP) in regulating CS.

Main Methods:

• Sixteen healthy males ran on a treadmill wearing custom high-collar shoes with three CS conditions (low, medium, high).
• Lower extremity kinematics and electromyography (EMG) data were collected.
• One-way repeated-measures ANOVA was used for statistical analysis.

Main Results:

• Increased CS (medium and high) significantly reduced ankle range of motion (ROM) in sagittal and frontal planes compared to low CS.
• Higher CS demonstrated a trend towards increased dynamic stability and leg stiffness (Kleg).
• Circumferential ankle pressure (CAP) was identified as a key factor in managing CS.

Conclusions:

• Higher collar stiffness in biomimetic shoes enhances ankle stability during running by limiting motion.
• The findings suggest that optimizing CS is crucial for effective lateral ankle sprain prevention.
• Further research is needed to confirm the efficacy of these designs in preventing injuries during high-demand activities.