A potential relationship between soccer shoes and pes cavus: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Biomechanics
• Podiatry

Background:

• Pes cavus (high-arched foot) is more common in soccer players than in the general population.
• A hypothesis suggested that wearing undersized soccer cleats might cause foot compression, leading to pes cavus.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between shoe size and the prevalence of pes cavus in soccer players.
• To test the hypothesis that small soccer shoes contribute to the development of pes cavus.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional study involving 198 male soccer players (youth and adult).
• Measurements included the difference between shoe and foot length, arch index (AI), and normalized truncated navicular height (NTNH).
• Analysis focused on players wearing shoes that were too small.

Main Results:

• 34% of soccer players exhibited pes cavus; only 15% had neutral arches.
• 27% of players wore shoes that were too small.
• Players in undersized shoes had slightly higher arches (AI=0.24) than those in properly sized shoes (AI=0.25), but still within the normal range.
• No correlation found between the degree of shoe undersizing and arch height.

Conclusions:

• The study confirms a higher prevalence of pes cavus among soccer players.
• The hypothesis that wearing shoes that are too small causes pes cavus in soccer players was not supported by the data.