ArticleScientific reports2020
Effect of the upward curvature of toe springs on walking biomechanics in humans.
Article in Scientific reports, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 10 papers.
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Who cites it
10 citing papers in PubMed.
- Kinetic coupling in distal foot joints during walking.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2023Trial
- Effects of curved carbon fiber plate bending stiffness on plantar pressure characteristics and performance during speed step in jump rope athletes.Scientific reports · 2026Article
- Deformation mechanisms in marathon running shoes elucidated by X-ray micro-computed tomography and digital volume correlation analysis.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- Synchronous Retrograde Replantation Method for the Repair of Completely Severed Toes: A Four-Year Follow-Up.Clinical case reports · 2025Article
- Effects of using exposure footwear for firemen and fitness training shoes on lower limb biomechanics during walking.Scientific reports · 2024Article
- Feasibility of Electrodermal Activity and Photoplethysmography Data Acquisition at the Foot Using a Sock Form Factor.Sensors (Basel, Switzerland) · 2023Article
- Effects of different habitual foot strike patterns onFrontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2023Article
- Barefoot Running on Grass as a Potential Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis: A Prospective Case Series.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Article
- Influence of Shod and Barefoot Running on theFrontiers in bioengineering and biotechnology · 2022Article
- Daily activity in minimal footwear increases foot strength.Scientific reports · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
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.
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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.