The effect of increasing the mass of shoes on a selection of mechanical components of running and ankle kinematics of recreational runners

Suitable sports shoes are one of the best available methods to change the biomechanical pattern of running and cause to improve sports performance of athletes. This study aimed to investigate the effect of increasing the mass of shoes on a selection of mechanical components of running and ankle kinematics of recreational runners. The participants of this study were 12 young men aged 19 to 25 years who had been running for at least one to three days a week for the past six months. To simulate heavy shoes, a 250-gram sandbag was attached to the shoes of the participants. After reflective marker placement, their running pattern was recorded in three dimensions on a treadmill at a speed of 10 km/h in two stages (with and without additional load). The examined components included vertical displacement of the center of mass, angle between the shin and ground, heel whip, heel clearance, angle between foot and ground, dorsi-plantar flexion angle, maximum eversion, and foot pronation velocity. There was a difference of 1.3 cm in the hill clearance component and 1.1 degree in the dorsiplantar flexion angle of heavy shoes compared to light shoes. Based on the results of the research, it seems that using sandbags to increase the mass of the shoe can cause an increase in ankle eversion in recreational runners.