Influence of Outsole Structures on Foot Loading and Gait Stability Solution for Comfort and Stability of Leather High Heels
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Abstract
As the downstream products most relevant to the leather industry, leather shoes perform well in the global market. Consumers have put forward high requirements for the comfort and safety of leather shoes in recent years, especially for high heels, whose unique outsole structure often causes foot overloading. The outsole structure varies in ground-contacted mode and heel base size, and plays a decisive role in its function, affecting gait patterns. This study aimed to investigate differences in foot loading and gait stability induced by different outsole structures, at two typical heel heights. Six pairs of customized high heels (3 outsole structures × 2 heel heights) were tested on eighteen healthy females while walking by the Novel Pedar-X in-shoe plantar pressure system. Taking the thick high heels for the intermediate control group, the main effects of the outsole structures and the heel heights, and their interactions on the plantar pressures were analyzed by Two-way repeated ANOVAs. The center of pressure displacements and velocities were calculated throughout the whole stance phase. The results indicated that the whole ground-contacted mode of the outsole displayed better stability in the medial-lateral direction in the early stance phase but may increase the risk of hallux valgus because of the elevated load there. On the contrary, the smaller heel base size exhibited poorer stability in the medial-lateral direction in the early stance phase and would increase forefoot loading. The response of gait characteristics to heel height change is more prominent, which could cause a more vulnerable gait posture. The results could be relevant to improving high-heel functional design, positively motivating the transformation and upgrading of the leather shoe industry.