Faculty Advisor

Orloff, Heidi

Area of Study

Science and Mathematics

Publication Date

Summer 2011

Abstract

Women’s shoes are known to be constructed from the same parameters as men’s shoes but on a smaller scale. However, foot and gait characteristics are different between genders The purpose of this study was to determine if mid-sole design has an effect on ground reaction force characteristics during running, cutting and jumping motions. Twenty-two apparently healthy female (73.8±8.4 kg; 1.74±0.06 m) and seven male (73.5±5.3 kg; 1.68±0.02 m) current or recently graduated NCAA Division III athletes voluntarily participated in this study. Subjects wore four shoes with different mid-sole designs while performing five different actions: running, cutting, shuffling, back cut and plyometric jumping. In the locomotive portion of the study, no differences were found between the shoes or gender in both the vertical and medial/lateral forces. In females, jumping data showed that the D3O shoe yielded less contact time with less velocity. Prototype shoes seemed to effect GRFs while landing from a jump but did not alter GRF characteristics during running and agility movements.

Publisher

University of Puget Sound

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