Plantar pressure in recreational athletes running in maximal and traditional shoes
Do super-cushioned running shoes (called 'maximal shoes') actually make a difference compared to regular running shoes?
College of Health researcher(s)
College unit(s)
Abstract
Objectives
The primary objective of this study was to compare plantar pressure (peak forefoot and rearfoot pressure, center of pressure displacement and distance) between maximal and traditional running shoes in recreationally active individuals. A secondary objective was to assess differences in ankle kinematics and vertical ground reaction forces between shoe conditions.
Design
A repeated-measures experimental design compared the two shoe conditions (maximal vs. traditional) within the same participants.
Methods
Twenty recreationally active adults (11 females, 9 males) performed five overground running trials in a maximal and traditional shoe. Plantar pressure, vertical ground reaction forces, and ankle kinematics were measured using a combination of pressure insoles, motion capture, and force plates. Two-tailed paired t-tests with Benjamini–Yekutieli corrections were used to assess differences between shoe conditions (α = 0.05), while effect sizes (Cohen's d) quantified the magnitude of observed differences.
Results
Peak forefoot plantar pressure was significantly lower in the maximal shoe (p = .01, d = 0.47), while center of pressure displacement (p = .03, d = 0.39) and distance (p = .01, d = 0.40) were also significantly shorter in the maximal shoe. No significant differences were observed in vertical ground reaction forces (VIP, VAP, AVLR) or ankle kinematics (p > .05).
Conclusions
Maximal shoes reduce forefoot plantar pressure and center of pressure displacement and distance compared to traditional shoes in recreational runners. These findings suggest that maximal shoes may help with load management for injuries where decreased forefoot plantar pressure is desired.