Measurement of Restrictive Forces on the Anterior Foot Portions for the Estimation of Walking Comfort of Shoes

Abstract

To assess the walking comfort of shoes in terms of physical measurement values, we measured pressures p in 7 parts of the anterior foot portions for two groups wearing a pair of shoes, which are felt as the most comfortable or uncomfortable (total, 42 subjects). The relationships between the pressures and the comfort of shoes were statistically analyzed. The results obtained are as follows :
(1) The mean pressures at each of the 7 parts were compared. It was found that the pressures on the 3rd toe, 4th toe, the fibular side of the 5th toe and the head of the 5th metatarsus for the uncomfortable feeling group were more than two times those of the comfortable feeling group.
(2) Similarity assessment showed similarity between the 2nd and 4th toes and between the fibular side of the 5th toe and the head of the 5th metatarsus for the uncomfortable feeling group.
(3) Based on the results of cluster analysis, the comfortable feeling group was classified into 3 clusters and the uncomfortable feeling group into 5 clusters.
(4) By discrimination analysis using p values for both groups, a discriminant score, z, was determined; the discrimination rate for z>0 was 85.7% and z< 0 was 76.2%. These results showed the possibility to estimate the comfort of shoes from the pressure p values.