THE EFFECTS OF DRESS SHOES ON STABILITY DURING QUIET STANDING AND ENERGY CONSUMPTION WHILE WALKING
Footwear is an extremely important clothing item worn by all individuals. Currently, there is insufficient research regarding the influence of dress shoes on standing stability and energy consumption while walking. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of dress shoes on the performance of normal subjects based on stability and energy consumption analysis. Fifteen normal subjects were recruited in this research study to stand and walk with and without shoes. The stability of the subjects in quiet standing was measured by the use of a force plate based on center of pressure (COP) sway. The energy consumption was evaluated by a heart rate monitoring system (Polar Electro) based on the physiological cost index (PCI). The mean values of PCI while walking with and without shoes were 0.29 ± 0.117 and 0.265 ± 0.112 beats/m, respectively (p-value > 0.05). The amplitudes of COP sways in the mediolateral and anteroposterior directions were 10.4 ± 3.5 and 25 ± 6.92 mm while standing with shoes and 9.3 ± 2.84 and 22.5 ± 5.25 mm in barefoot standing, respectively (p-value > 0.05). It can be concluded that wearing dress shoes does not influence the performance of subjects while standing or walking.