ReviewJournal of foot and ankle research2021
Footwear comfort: a systematic search and narrative synthesis of the literature.
Review in Journal of foot and ankle research, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 15 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
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.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
15 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Understanding Footwear Needs: A Conceptual Review.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2025Pooled it
- Immediate Effects of Footwear Design on In-Shoe Plantar Pressures, Impact Forces and Comfort in Women With Plantar Heel Pain.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2025Trial
- Do Commercially Available Insoles Meaningfully Change Reported Comfort and Biomechanics During One Day of Wear?Journal of foot and ankle research · 2026Article
- Functional Design and Clinical Implications of Modern Soccer Footwear: A Comprehensive Narrative Review.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Review
- Foot Posture Characteristics and Bilateral Load Distribution in African Male Recreational Runners: Insights from Foot Posture Index and 3D Scanning.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2025Article
- Minimalist Footwear in the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Lower Limb Impairments Across the Life Course: A Scoping Review.Musculoskeletal care · 2025Article
- Biomechanical Effects of Sandal Strap Design on Gait Kinematics and Electromyographic Activation Patterns: A Speed-Dependent Analysis.Applied bionics and biomechanics · 2025Article
- THE EFFECTS OF ROCKER SOLE ON RUNNING KINEMATICS AND WEIGHT-BEARING COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY: A 3D ANALYSIS STUDY.Acta ortopedica brasileira · 2025Article
- Article
- Running Shoe Recommendations Based on Gait Analysis Improve Perceptions of Comfort, Performance and Injury Risk: A Single-Blind Randomised Crossover Trial.Translational sports medicine · 2025Article
- How does it feel to run in minimalist and advanced footwear technology shoes: A qualitative study involving male recreational runners.PloS one · 2025Article
- Factors that influence field hockey footwear selection: An online survey.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2024Article
- Efficacy of auxetic lattice structured shoe sole in advancing footwear comfort-From the perspective of plantar pressure and contact area.Frontiers in public health · 2024Article
- Australian secondary school principals', parents', and students' attitudes to prescribed school footwear guidelines.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2023Article
- Methodological and statistical approaches for the assessment of foot shape using three-dimensional foot scanning: a scoping review.Journal of foot and ankle research · 2023Article
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
objectiveTo provide a narrative synthesis of the research literature pertaining to footwear comfort, including definitions, measurement scales, footwear design features, and physiological and psychological factors.
methodsA systematic search was conducted which yielded 101 manuscripts. The most relevant manuscripts were selected based on the predetermined subheadings of the review (definitions, measurement scales, footwear design features, and physiological and psychological factors). A narrative synthesis of the findings of the included studies was undertaken.
resultsThe available evidence is highly fragmented and incorporates a wide range of study designs, participants, and assessment approaches, making it challenging to draw strong conclusions or implications for clinical practice. However, it can be broadly concluded that (i) simple visual analog scales may provide a reliable overall assessment of comfort, (ii) well-fitted, lightweight shoes with soft midsoles and curved rocker-soles are generally perceived to be most comfortable, and (iii) the influence of sole flexibility, shoe microclimate and insoles is less clear and likely to be more specific to the population, setting and task being performed.
conclusionFootwear comfort is a complex and multifaceted concept that is influenced not only by structural and functional aspects of shoe design, but also task requirements and anatomical and physiological differences between individuals. Further research is required to delineate the contribution of specific shoe features more clearly, and to better understand the interaction between footwear features and individual physiological attributes.
Indexed as
Identifiers
What OpenQuestion holds
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.