Effects of shoe collar types on ankle and knee biomechanics characteristics when performing the side-step cutting...

This study aimed to examine the effect of football shoes with different collar types on ankle and knee kinematic and kinetics features during 45° and 135° side-step cutting tasks. Fifteen healthy college football players volunteered for the study. Each participant was instructed to perform side-step cutting tasks with high, low, and no collar football shoes. The kinematic and ground reaction force data were measured using a Vicon motion capture system and a Kistler force plate, respectively. Two-way MANOVAs with repeated measures were used to examine the effect of shoe collar type and task conditions. There were no interaction effects. The high collar football shoe showed decreased ankle range of motion in the sagittal plane (p = 0.010) and peak ankle external rotation moment (p = 0.009) compared to the no collar football shoe. The high (p = 0.025) and low (p = 0.029) collar football shoes presented greater peak ankle external rotation angles than the no collar football shoe. These results imply that football shoes with high collars made of high intensity knitted fabric could be used to restrict ankle joint movement, with potential implications for decreasing the risk of ankle sprain injuries in football players.