2018 Volume 54 Issue 3 Pages 108-114
The main objective of this study was to identify the distribution of contact pressure on the dorsal surface of the foot during walking in shoes. Ten healthy young men （age, 22.1±0.6 years） without any walking impediments were recruited in this study. Foot measurement was performed to identify the appropriate shoe size for each participant prior to the experiment. Subsequently, FlexiForce sensors were attached to （1） the dorsal side of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, （2） the most medial side of the first interphalangeal joint, （3） the metatarsal fibulare, （4） the dorsal side of the fifth metatarsophalangeal joint, （5） the intermediate cuneiform, and （6） the pternion to measure the contact pressure during walking. In addition, foot switch sensors were used to identify the gait cycle as participants walked on the designated walkway. The contact pressure at points （1） and （6） showed distinctive increments at both heel contact and toe off. On the contrary, points （2）, （3）, and （4） showed decrements at the swing phase. The observed distribution of the contact pressure on the dorsal foot may be caused by the shape changes of the shoes and the foot joint movement during walking.
