Heel-shoe interactions and the durability of EVA foam running-shoe midsoles
Five articles on PainSci cite Verdejo 2004: 1. Is Running on Pavement Risky? 2. The Complete Guide to IT Band Syndrome 3. The Complete Guide to Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome 4. Complete Guide to Plantar Fasciitis 5. Shin Splints Treatment, The Complete Guide
PainSci notes on Verdejo 2004:
Science news flash! Shoes wear out: “Scanning electron microscopy shows that structural damage (wrinkling of faces and some holes) occurred in the foam after 750 km run. Fatigue of the foam reduces heelstrike cushioning, and is a possible cause of running injuries.”
original abstract †Abstracts here may not perfectly match originals, for a variety of technical and practical reasons. Some abstacts are truncated for my purposes here, if they are particularly long-winded and unhelpful. I occasionally add clarifying notes. And I make some minor corrections.
A finite element analysis (FEA) was made of the stress distribution in the heelpad and a running shoe midsole, using heelpad properties deduced from published force-deflection data, and measured foam properties. The heelpad has a lower initial shear modulus than the foam (100 vs. 1050 kPa), but a higher bulk modulus. The heelpad is more non-linear, with a higher Ogden strain energy function exponent than the foam (30 vs. 4). Measurements of plantar pressure distribution in running shoes confirmed the FEA. The peak plantar pressure increased on average by 100% after 500 km run. Scanning electron microscopy shows that structural damage (wrinkling of faces and some holes) occurred in the foam after 750 km run. Fatigue of the foam reduces heelstrike cushioning, and is a possible cause of running injuries.
related content
- “Running in new and worn shoes: a comparison of three types of cushioning footwear,” P W Kong, N G Candelaria, and D R Smith, British Journal of Sports Medicine, 2009.
This page is part of the PainScience BIBLIOGRAPHY, which contains plain language summaries of thousands of scientific papers & others sources. It’s like a highly specialized blog. A few highlights:
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- A double-blinded randomised controlled study of the value of sequential intravenous and oral magnesium therapy in patients with chronic low back pain with a neuropathic component. Yousef 2013 Anaesthesia.
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