Department of Human Locomotion, Chemnitz University of Technology, Chemnitz, Germany.
Department of Anthropology, University At Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.
Sci Rep. 2020 Sep 17;10(1):14643. doi: 10.1038/s41598-020-71247-9.
Although most features of modern footwear have been intensively studied, there has been almost no research on the effects of toe springs. This nearly ubiquitous upward curvature of the sole at the front of the shoe elevates the toe box dorsally above the ground and thereby holds the toes in a constantly dorsiflexed position. While it is generally recognized that toe springs facilitate the forefoot's ability to roll forward at the end of stance, toe springs may also have some effect on natural foot function. This study investigated the effects of toe springs on foot biomechanics in a controlled experiment in which participants walked in specially-designed sandals with varying curvature in the toe region to simulate toe springs ranging from 10 to 40 degrees of curvature. Using inverse dynamics techniques, we found that toe springs alter the joint moments and work at the toes such that greater degrees of toe spring curvature resulted in lower work requirements during walking. Our results help explain why toe springs have been a pervasive feature in shoes for centuries but also suggest that toe springs may contribute to weakening of the foot muscles and possibly to increased susceptibility to common pathological conditions such as plantar fasciitis.
虽然现代鞋类的大多数特征都得到了深入研究，但对于鞋头弹簧的影响几乎没有研究。这种鞋底在鞋前部几乎无处不在的向上弯曲，使鞋头盒向上背侧提升，从而使脚趾保持在不断背屈的位置。虽然人们普遍认为鞋头弹簧有助于前脚在支撑末期向前滚动，但鞋头弹簧也可能对自然足部功能产生一些影响。本研究在一项对照实验中调查了鞋头弹簧对足部生物力学的影响，参与者穿着特殊设计的凉鞋行走，这些凉鞋在前部鞋头区域的曲率各不相同，以模拟从 10 度到 40 度的鞋头弹簧曲率。使用逆动力学技术，我们发现鞋头弹簧改变了脚趾关节的力矩和做功，较大的鞋头弹簧曲率导致行走时的功需求降低。我们的结果有助于解释为什么鞋头弹簧在鞋子中存在了几个世纪，但也表明鞋头弹簧可能导致足部肌肉减弱，并且可能增加对足底筋膜炎等常见病理状况的易感性。
