Sports Shoes. Elementary considerations of sports shoes: part I

-





Different sports have different shoes. For example horse riding & ballet dance shoes are different that of running or football shoes. This following topic is written with reference to running & sports requiring similar shoes.
Athletic running sports shoes bring automatically an idea that they are soft on feet & absorb shock. However, Withnall R et al studying on army recruits reported similar rates of lower limb injuries were for all insoles (shock absorbing and non-shock absorbing) in a randomized controlled trial. The trial provides no support for a change in policy to the use of shock absorbing insoles for military recruits (4).
To clarify this ambiguity we found an opportunity to write an article is to assist in understanding athletic footwear. In addition, the various components of a typical athletic shoe are described, including the upper, the midsole/outsole. Hence let us review the parts of a sports shoe.
Parts of a sports shoe:

1. Upper
2. Insert
3. Midsole
4. Outsole

The upper: hold the midsole and outsole to the bottom of the foot. Upper provides upper as well as enhancing the flexibility, stability and support functions.
The insert: It influences the overall fit since it helps position the arch support. The need for, placement and inclusion of arch support systems varies greatly relative to gender, age, foot size, and arch type. It also is dependent on the sport and activity level of the athlete. An important modification of the insert is a shoe orthotics. This is a custom made insert that is designed to make up for structural problems in the foot. These structural problems might be genetic, or the result of chronic injuries.
The midsole: The midsole is the shoe's cushioning system. In early athletic shoes, especially in running shoes, midsoles didn't really exist. Not until an athlete with an interest in shoe design started thinking about running shoes and how they could be improved to reduce injuries and allow for more training did the invention of the midsole as we know it exist. We see today midsole "innovations" in every type of shoe from walking to basketball. The innovations range from improved foam midsoles to complicated air and fluid systems. Hence as a whole the midsole provides stability, flexibility, cushioning & durability.
The outsole: The main function of the outsole is to provide traction as well as to reduce wear on the midsole thereby increasing the overall durability of the shoe. Early outsole units were made of leather or rubber. They were later modified according to the athlete's need. For example, early running shoes used for track events could best be described as leather shoes with nails driven through them. Today, the outsoles for track shoes have plastic plates molded into them that allow a runner to change the spikes.Traction relative to specific movements in sports like basketball is provided by running vs. pivoting, type of surface as frictional needs differ, depending on the movement, in different areas of the outsole. An improved understanding of shoe-surface interactions remains a critical need to improve the design of shoe-surface combinations with the goal of meeting player needs while minimizing injury potential (3).

There are various models of athletic shoes & it is extremely difficult for the clinician to maintain a database of current shoe models and features. McPoil TG has stressed the importance of the clinician providing the athlete a list of footwear features and components based on their particular foot classification or problem, rather than attempting to recommend a specific model of athletic shoe. A detailed explanation of these features is provided to assist the practitioner in helping the athlete select the most appropriate shoe (1).

According to Reinschmidt C et al many investigations in the area of sport shoe research have shown that subject-specific responses can be expected. Different groups of athletes may require different types of shoes. The definition of these grouping characteristics and their design needs seem to be the most important challenge for the sport shoe researchers and manufacturers for the near future.

References:

1. McPoil TG; J Sci Med Sport. 2000 Sep;3(3):260-7.
2. http://www.scire.com/sds/Pages/design.html
3. Livesay GA; Am J Sports Med. 2006 Mar;34(3):415-22. Epub 2006 Jan 6
4. Withnall R et al ; J R Soc Med. 2006 Jan;99(1):32-7.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Entrapment of medial calcaneal nerve (MCN)

-
Image
Peripheral nerve entrapment is a rare, but important, cause of foot and ankle pain that often is underdiagnosed and mistreated. A peripheral nerve may become entrapped anywhere along its course, but certain anatomic locations are characteristic (2). The medial calcaneal nerve (MCN) The Tibial nerve is called the planter nerve in the sole. The tibial nerve passes to the sole of the foot takes a turn on the medial side of the calcaneum is called MCN. The medial calcaneal nerve arises from tibial nerve of the inner side of the ankle, perforates the laciniate ligament, travels downwards passing below the bony projection on the inner side of the ankle, and supplies the skin over the medial aspect of the heel. Hence it is the most important nerve for heel sensations. MCN have 2 branches. The anterior branch dominate the cutaneous sensation of the anterior part of the medial calcaneal and heel weight loading field, while the posterior branch dominate the sensation of the posterior an...
Read more

Differential diagnosis of Anatomic (Radial) snuffbox pain: It is not always DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis.

-
Image
Tendon, Bone & Ligament causes: 1. DeQuervain’s tenosynovitis: Swelling of tendon of APL (Abductor pollicis longus) & extensor pollicis brevis at lateral wrist near anatomic snuff box.  The primary complaint is radial sided wrist pain that radiates up the forearm with grasping or extension of the thumb. The pain has been described as a “constant aching, burning, pulling sensation." Pain is often aggravated by repetitive lifting, gripping, or twisting motions of the hand. Swelling in the anatomical snuff box, tenderness at the radial styloid process, decreased CMC abduction ROM of the 1st digit, palpable thickening of the extensor sheaths of the 1st dorsal compartment and crepitus of the tendons moving from the extensor sheath may be found upon examination. Other possible findings include weakness and paresthesia in the hand. Finkelstein’s diagnostic test will present positive provoking the patient’s symptoms. If left untreated, the inflammation and progressive narro...
Read more

Chronic fatigue syndrome

-
Introduction: Severe fatigue is a common complaint among patients. Often, the fatigue is transient or can be attributed to a definable organic illness. Some patients present with persistent and disabling fatigue, but show no abnormalities on physical examination or screening laboratory tests. In these cases, the diagnosis of chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) should be considered. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC, USA) Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS) currently is defined as: (1) fatigue of at least 6 months' duration, seriously interfering with the patient's life; and (2) without evidence of various organic or psychiatric illnesses that can produce chronic fatigue. The World Health Organization classifies myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/cfs) as a nervous system disease. Together with other diseases under the G93 heading, ME/cfs shares a triad of abnormalities involving elevated oxidative and nitrosative stress (O&NS), activat...
Read more