Browse > Article
http://dx.doi.org/10.5143/JESK.2018.37.4.475

The Effects of Insole Material and Hardness in Different Plantar Sites on the Comfort and Impact Absorption  

Ryu, Sihyun (Motion Innovation Center, Korea National Sport University)
Gil, Hojong (Motion Innovation Center, Korea National Sport University)
Kong, Sejin (LS Networks Co., Ltd. / R&D Center)
Choi, Yongsuk (LS Networks Co., Ltd. / R&D Center)
Ryu, Jiseon (Motion Innovation Center, Korea National Sport University)
Yoon, Sukhoon (Motion Innovation Center, Korea National Sport University)
Park, Sang Kyoon (Motion Innovation Center, Korea National Sport University)
Publication Information
Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea / v.37, no.4, 2018 , pp. 475-487 More about this Journal
Abstract
Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the biomechanical effects of insole material and hardness in different plantar regions on the comfort and impact absorption during walking and to analyze the correlations between comfort and impact variables. Background: It is necessary to apply materials tailored to the functionalities of different plantar regions during different phases of the gait cycle: the rearfoot portion should absorb the impact force during the heel-contact phase, the midfoot portion should support the entire arch, and the forefoot portion should enhance the swing efficiency during the toe-off phase. Method: Twenty men in their twenties were recruited for the study (age: $23.4{\pm}2.7yrs$; height: $175.9{\pm}4.1cm$; weight: $72.9{\pm}9.4kg$). They wore insoles in random order. Pedar-X system (Novel GmbH, USA) and Treadmill (Instrumented treadmill, Bertec, USA) were used to measure the plantar pressure and ground reaction force. The walking speed was set at 1.3m/s and 1.7m/s. The sampling rate was set at 50Hz and 1,000Hz, respectively. For comfort testing, the subjects administered a questionnaire survey using the visual analogue scale (VAS) after walking 1km. Three insole models were tested: Insole A using a mixed material with shock-absorbing and anti-rebound components uniformly spread throughout the insole; Insole B and Insole C using sponge and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), respectively, as underlying material and strengthened with shock absorber in the rearfoot portion, high-hardness material in the midfoot portion, and anti-rebound function in the forefoot portion. The impulse, mean impact force, initial peak of ground reaction force, and loading rate were calculated. Results: First, Insole B significantly outscored Insole A in terms of the forefoot cushioning comfort (p<.05), with Insole B and C showing higher overall comfort scores compared with Insole A (p<.05). Second, Insole A showed higher mean impact force, initial and peak vertical ground reaction forces, and loading rate compared with Insoles B and C, but without reaching statistical significance. Third, Insole B and C showed statistically higher mean pressure in the midfoot portion compared with Insole A (p<.05). Conclusion: Positive effects in terms of comfort and impact absorption were demonstrated by the insoles fabricated with different materials and hardness tailored to the functionalities of different plantar regions in comparison with the conventional insoles using the uniform material throughout the insole. In particular, positive effects on overall comfort were found to be ascribable to the enhanced hardness in the midfoot portion, which supported the arch more efficiently and contributed to an even distribution of the overall pressure on the plantar. Application: The study results can be applied to insole development as follows: Insole material and hardness should be varied for different plantar regions, and shock absorber and high-hardness material should be used for the rearfoot and midfoot portions, respectively.
Keywords
Insole material; Insole hardness; Comfort; Impact absorption;
Citations & Related Records
Times Cited By KSCI : 12  (Citation Analysis)
연도 인용수 순위
1 Alex, M. and Henderson, A.T., Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate (EVA) Copolymers: A General Review. IEEE Electrical Insulation Magazine. January/February 9(1), 1993.
2 Cavanagh, P.R. and Lafortune, M.A., Ground reaction forces in distance running. Journal of Biomechanics, 13, 397-406, 1980.   DOI
3 Chae, W.S. and Jung, J.H., Effects of wearing carbon nanotube-based insole on resultant joint moment and muscle activity of the lower extremity during drop landing. Korean Journal of Sport Science, 26(3), 479-487, 2015.   DOI
4 Chae, W.S., Jung, J.H. and Lee, H.S., Biomechanical analysis of wearing carbon nanotube-based insole during drop landing. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 22(4), 429-435, 2012.   DOI
5 Chen, H., Nigg, B.M. and de Koning, J.J., Relationship between plantar pressure distribution under the foot and insole comfort. Clinical Biomechanics, 9(6), 335-341, 1994.   DOI
6 Chen, W.P., Ju, C.W. and Tang, F.T., Effects of total contact insoles on the plantar stress redistribution: a finite element analysis. Clinical Biomechanics, 25, 265-270, 2003.
7 Clement, D.B., Taunton, J.E., Smart, G.W. and McNico, K.L., A survey of overuse running injury. Physician Sports Medicine, 9, 47-58, 1984.
8 Eng, J. and Pierrynowski, M.R., The effect of soft foot orthotics on three-dimensional lower-limb kinematics during walking and running. Physical Theraphy, 74(9), 836-844, 1994.   DOI
9 Mundermann, A., Stefanyshyn, D.J. and Nigg, B.M., Relationship between footwear comfort of shoe inserts and anthropometric and sensory factors. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 33(11), 2001.
10 Mundermann, A., Nigg, B.M. and Stefanyshyn, D.J., Development of reliable method to assess footwear comfort during running. Gait and Posture, 16, 38-45, 2002.   DOI
11 Mundermann, A., Nigg, B.M., Humble, R.N. and Stefanyshyn, D.J., Consistent immediate effects of foot orthoses on comfort and lower extremity kinematics, kinetics, and muscle activity. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 20, 71-84, 2004.   DOI
12 Radin, E.L., Paul, I.L. and Rose, R.M., Role of mechanical factors in pathogenesis of primary osteoarthritis. The Lancet, 4, 519-521, 1972.
13 Nigg, B.M., Biomechanics of running shoes. Champaign, IL, Human Kinetics Publishers, 1986.
14 Park, J.Y., The analysis of muscle activities on the lower limb during wearing functional insole. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 20(3), 327-336, 2010.   DOI
15 Park, S.B., Lee, K.D., Kim, D.W., Yoo, J.H. and Kim, K.H., Comparative analysis of foot pressure distribution by functional insole to be transformed and restored during walking. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 21(2), 231-241, 2011.   DOI
16 Scott, S.H. and Winter, D.A., Internal forces at chronic running injury sites. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 22(3), 357-369, 1990.
17 Shin, S.H. and Jin, Y.W., Biomechanical comparison analysis of popular insole and functional insole of running shoes. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 16(3), 9-18, 2006.   DOI
18 Vaughan, C.L., Toit, L.L. and Roffey, M., Speed of walking and forces acting on the feet. In: Biomechanics, X-A, B. Jonsson(ed.), Iillinois: Human Kinetics Publishers, 349-354, 1987.
19 Shin, S.H., Lee, H.K. and Kwon, M.S., Correlation between lower extremities joint moment and joint angle according to the different walking speeds. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 18(2), 75-83, 2008.   DOI
20 Tirosh, O. and Sparrow, W.A., Age and walking speed effects on muscle recruitment in gait termination. Gait and Posture, 21, 279-288, 2005.   DOI
21 Whittle, M.W., Gait Analysis: Introduction. Oxford Orthopaedic Engineering Centre: University of Oxford, 1990.
22 Windle, C.M., Gregory, S.M. and Dixon, S.J., The shock attenuation characteristics of four different insoles when worn in a military boot during running and marching. Gait & Posture, 9(1), 31-37, 1999.   DOI
23 Yoo, C.I., Jeon, K.H., Won, Y. and Kim, J.J., Biomechanical Evaluation of Trekking Shoes using 3D Bootie Method as Mimics Barefoot Form. Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial Cooperation Society, 16(7), 4689-4696, 2015.   DOI
24 Yoo, S.H., Gil, H.J., Kim, J.B., Ryu, J.S., Yoon, S.H. and Park, S.K., The optimization of the number and positions of foot pressure sensors to develop smart shoes. Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea, 36(5), 395-409, 2017.   DOI
25 Yoo, S.H., Kim, J.B., Ryu, J.S., Yoon, S.H. and Park, S.K., Comparative analysis of gait parameters and symmetry between preferred walking speed and walking speed by using the froude number. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 26(2), 221-228, 2016.   DOI
26 Henning, E.M., Valiant, G.A. and Liu, Q., Relationships between perception of cushioning and pressure distribution parameters in running shoes. In: Biomechanics XIV Congress. Paris, 1993.
27 Zhang, S., Paquette, M.R., Milner, C.E., Westlake, C., Byrd, E. and Baumgartner, L., An unstable rocker-bottom shoe alters lower extremity biomechanics during level walking. Footwear Science, 4(3), 243-253, 2012.   DOI
28 Eun, S.D., Yu, Y.J. and Shin, H.S., The effects of gel-type insole on patients with knee osteoarthritis during gait. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 17(3), 181-188, 2007.   DOI
29 Garner, L.I., Dziados, J.E. and Jone, B.H., Prevention of lower extremity stress fractures; A controlled trial of a shock absorbent insole. American Journal of Public Health, 78, 1563-1567, 1988.   DOI
30 Henning, E.M., Valiant, G.A. and Liu, Q., Biomechanical variables and the perception of cushioning for running in various types of footwear. Journal of Applied Biomechanics, 12(2), 143-150, 1996.   DOI
31 Janisee, D.J., Indications and perspections for orthoses in sports. Orthopedic Clinics of North America, 25(1), 95-107, 1994.
32 Jeong, B.Y. and Hah, H.B., The Change of the Foot Pressure According to the Material and Height of the Shoe Insole during Exercises. Korea Sport Research, 15(1), 911-924, 2004.
33 Jin, Y.W. and Shin, S.H., The biomechanical comparison for running shoes according to the difference of insole. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 17(2), 51-59, 2007.   DOI
34 Jordan, C. and Bartlett, R., Pressure distribution and perceived comfort in casual footwear. Gait & Posture, 3, 215-220, 1995.   DOI
35 Mann, R.A., Biomechanics in Running. In Symposium on the Foot & Leg in Running Sports, R. P. Mack (ed.) St. Louis: The C.V. Mosby, 1980.
36 Kim, C.S., A study on the eva material hardness effect to the balance and cushion in case of standing and walking. Doctor's thesis, Graduate School of Dongseo University, 2008.
37 Kim, E.H., Cho, H.K., Jung, T.W., Kim, S.S. and Chung, J.W., The biomechanical evaluation of functional insoles. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 20(3), 345-353, 2010.   DOI
38 Lee, J.S., Kim, D.H., Jung, B.W., Han, D.W. and Park, D.M., The effects of the height and the quality of the material of popular heel-up insole on the mean plantar foot pressure during walking. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 21(4), 479-486, 2011.   DOI
39 Marshall, R.N., Hreljac, A. and Hume, P.A., Evaluation of lower extremity overuse injury potential in runners. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 32(9), 1635-1641, 2000.
40 McPoil, T.G. and Cornwall, M.W., Rigid versus soft orthoses. Journal of American Podiatric, Medical Association, 81(2), 638-642, 1991.   DOI
41 Moon, G.S., The kinematic analysis of the ankle joint and EMG analysis of the lower limbs muscle for the different walking speed. Korean Journal of Sport Biomechanics, 15(1), 177-195, 2005.   DOI
42 Mummolo, C., Mangialardi, L. and Kim, J.H., Quantifying dynamic characteristics of human walking for comprehensive gait cycle. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 135(9), 91-96, 2013.