Effect of Cross-training Shoes on the Gait Biomechanics of Children

This work investigated the different gait biomechanical characteristics of children when wearing children's cross-training shoes, ordinary shoes and bare feet. An 8-lens three-dimensional (3D) infrared motion capture system and two 3D force measuring platforms were adopted to synchronously collect the lower extremity biomechanical parameter data of 38 children walking with three different types of shoes. The results showed that, compared with naked feet, the support time, step length and step width significantly increased when wearing children's cross-training shoes and ordinary shoes; the adduction angle of knee joint increased significantly and the peak dorsiflexion angle of ankle joint decreased significantly when walking with ordinary shoes. In addition, compared walking with ordinary shoes, the knee flexion torque significantly decreased and the peak negative power of ankle joint remarkably increased when walking with children's cross-training shoes. The results showed that naked foot walking could reduce the knee joint load; although walking with ordinary shoes can better protect the ankle joint, it puts extra strain on the knee joint; walking with children's cross-training shoes helps to quickly buffer and absorb energy at the moment of landing, reducing the knee joint load.