Extracting principal pattern of plantar loading related to feeling during running

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to extract principal pattern of plantar loading related to feeling during running. Subjects were asked to evaluate subjective feeling (e.g., cushion or resilience) when running at comfortable speed wearing shoes which were manipulated its sole material. By using a foot pressure sensor inserted into shoes, the pressure pattern was also measured during running. In order to reduce the dimensionality and confirm the relationship with the subjective feeling, a principal component analysis was applied to the measured pressure pattern. In the result, we found there is a significant association between some principal component score and subjective feeling, and, for example, can construct a regression model for estimating the degree of resilience feeling. These implied that principal patterns of plantar loading can be an index reflecting feeling during running.