Comparison of the Effects of Barefoot and Shod Training on Foot Structure, Muscle Strength, and Sensory Function

Koyama, K and Hosono, S. Comparison of the effects of barefoot and shod training on foot structure, muscle strength, and sensory function. J Strength Cond Res 40(5): 566-575, 2026-The aim of this study was to compare the effects of 8 weeks multicomponent lower-limb training under barefoot versus shod conditions on foot muscle strength, structure, and sensory function. Healthy adults were assigned to either a barefoot training (BARE; n = 11), shod training (SHOD; n = 11), or control (CON; n = 15) groups. BARE and SHOD completed 2 weekly training including agility, balance, and strength exercises. Measurements were taken at baseline and weeks 2, 4, 6, and 8. Outcome measures included toe flexor strength, foot arch height, and foot sensory threshold. Relative toe flexor strength increased at weeks 4, 6, and 8 in both BARE and SHOD compared with baseline and was higher than in CON. For standing relative toe flexor strength, BARE showed greater values at weeks 6 and 8 than at weeks 2, and the value at week 6 was greater than at week 4, whereas in SHOD, only values at week 8 were greater than values at week 2. In contrast, arch-related variables and foot sensory threshold showed no significant changes during most of the training period in either group, and between-group differences were generally not significant. In CON, no significant changes were observed in nearly all outcome measures from baseline to week 8. Throughout the training period, no significant differences were found between BARE and SHOD in nearly all outcome measures. Overall, compared with shod training, 8 weeks of barefoot multicomponent exercises led to continued improvement in standing toe flexor strength without changing foot structure and sensory function.