Degree Name

Master of Science

Document Type

Thesis

Date Created

5-2019

Department

College of Natural and Health Sciences, Kinesiology Nutrition and Dietetics, KiND Student Work

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation was to examine the influence of footwear on walking stability. Twenty healthy women walked at 1.3 m/s on an instrumented treadmill. One hundred steps (50-right, 50-left) were analyzed from two walking conditions (shod, unshod). The variability of the center of pressure (COP) for each step was calculated for quadrants of the contact period. Significant differences in variability were seen between shod and unshod conditions in all quadrants as well as differences between left and right feet in quadrants one and four. Restricted foot motion while shod may explain the differences seen in COP variability. This suggests footwear may provide a more stable walking base for “at-risk” populations from which they are less likely to fall than when barefoot.

Extent

62 pages

Local Identifiers

BarronsThesis19.pdf

Rights Statement

Copyright is held by the author.

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