Abstract
Many footwear and shoes claimed that they have effective of promoting health and rehabilitation has been invented. However, there is little evidence have been found in many cases. The purpose of this study was to biomechanically investigate the effect of footwear invented by inspiration from waraji (Japanese traditional sandal) and claimed to contribute to foot health. Ten healthy adults were recruited as subjects. Biomechanical data with the footwear worn were compared to those without worn footwear. Motion data were collected using a force plate. The experimental results showed that the investigated footwear had positive effect of increasing whole body reaction time, the driving force of the ground reaction force. The effects of the footwear on human movement were discussed based on these biomechanical data from the experiments.
