ArticleBMC geriatrics2020
Walking barefoot vs. with minimalist footwear - influence on gait in younger and older adults.
Article in BMC geriatrics, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 38 citations in OpenAlex.
- Footwear Characteristics and Their Impact on Gait and Balance in Older Adults: A Systematic Review of Recent Evidence.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society · 2026Pooled it
- Effects of Long-Term Minimal Footwear Use on Fall-Risk and Fall Incidence in Older Adults.Gerontology · 2026Trial
- A four-week minimalist shoe walking intervention influences foot posture and balance in young adults-a randomized controlled trial.PloS one · 2024Trial
- Footwear Heel Height and Gait Biomechanics in Healthy Young Women: A Within-Subject Analysis of Spatiotemporal Parameters, Propulsion, and Pelvic Kinematics.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2026Article
- Acceptability of Minimalist Shoes Compared With Balance-Enhancing Shoes in Older Women: Protocol for a Randomised Crossover Trial.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2026Article
- Biomechanical mechanisms underlying the effect of minimalist footwear on walking stability in persons with a history of falls.Communications medicine · 2025Article
- Minimalist Footwear in the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Lower Limb Impairments Across the Life Course: A Scoping Review.Musculoskeletal care · 2025Article
- Footwear Choice and Locomotor Health Throughout the Life Course: A Critical Review.Healthcare (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Review
- Barefoot walking improves cognitive ability in adolescents.The Korean journal of physiology & pharmacology : official journal of the Korean Physiological Society and the Korean Society of Pharmacology · 2024Article
- [The influence of footwear on the human gait].Orthopadie (Heidelberg, Germany) · 2023Review
- Effect of Footwear Type on Biomechanical Risk Factors for Knee Osteoarthritis.Orthopaedic journal of sports medicine · 2023Article
- Effects of supportive and minimalist footwear on standing balance and walking stability in older women.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2023Article
- Barefoot walking is more stable in the gait of balance recovery in older adults.BMC geriatrics · 2022Article
- How barefoot and conventional shoes affect the foot and gait characteristics in toddlers.PloS one · 2022Article
- Measuring Gait Stability in People with Multiple Sclerosis Using Different Sensor Locations and Time Scales.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Minimal shoes improve stability and mobility in persons with a history of falls.Scientific reports · 2020Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
3 authors at 2 institutions in 2 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundIn recent years, minimalist footwear has been increasingly promoted for its use in sportive and recreational activities. These shoes are considered to function naturally like barefoot walking while providing a protective surface. Despite a growing popularity of these shoes in the older population, little is known about the influence of minimalist footwear on gait patterns. This study investigated whether overground walking with minimalist shoes is comparable to barefoot walking regarding gait stability and variability parameters.
methodsIn a randomized within-subject study design, 31 healthy younger (29 ± 4 years) and 33 healthy community-dwelling older adults (71 ± 4 years) volunteered. Participants walked on flat ground, once barefoot and once with minimalist shoes. Gait variability of minimum toe clearance (MTC), stride length, stride time, and local dynamic gait stability were analysed.
resultsThe results for both age groups showed significant condition effects (minimalist shoes vs. barefoot walking) for the outcomes of local dynamic stability (p = .013), MTC variability (p = .018), and stride length variability (p < .001) indicating increased local dynamic stability and decreased gait variability during the minimalist shoe condition. Group effects (young vs. older adults) were detected in all gait outcomes.
conclusionWalking with minimalist shoes appeared to be associated with better gait performance than walking barefoot in both age groups. Thus, walking with minimalist shoes is not similar to barefoot walking. With respect to reducing the risk of falling, we suggest that minimalist shoes could be an alternative to barefoot walking or a transition option between shoes to barefoot for older adults.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.