The Effect of Minimalist Footwear on the Anthropometric and Biomechanical Parameters of the Lower Limb and Foot

The Effect of Minimalist Footwear on the Anthropometric and Biomechanical Parameters of the Lower Limb and Foot During Long-Term Wearing: A Randomized Clinical Trial

The study aims to determine whether 6months of wearing minimalist footwear causes changes in anthropometric parameters of the foot and the biomechanical parameters of the foot and lower limb.

The minimalist footwear represents an alternative style of footwear wearing, which could allow the foot to move more naturally compared to the footwear wearing in conventional footwear. That footwear is characterized by no cushioning, wide toe box, zero foot drop, thin sole (1,5 - 8 mm), low weight, and high flexibility of footwear. This study aims to determine the effect of 6months of wearing minimalist footwear on the foot and lower limb's anthropometric and biomechanical parameters.

The study is designed as a parallel interventional study. The sample size consists of 50 healthy individuals divided into experimental and control groups by randomization. All participants undergo the initial examination and baseline and final measurement focused on the foot anthropometry and kinetics and kinematics of the foot and lower limb during walking. Besides, the experimental group undergoes a 6months intervention of wearing minimalist footwear, during which the participants will record their movement behavior by electronic diary.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Healthy individuals
• Individuals without previous experience in wearing minimalist footwear

Exclusion Criteria:

• Significant deformities of the feet and toes
• Pain of the musculoskeletal system
• Injury, congenital or gained defect of the musculoskeletal or neural system in past
• Undergo operation of lower limbs in past or during research