Arch Height Changes After 10-week Transition to Minimalist Running Shoes

NewsBot · May 14, 2013

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Arch Height Changes After 10-week Transition to Minimalist Running Shoes
Sarah Ridge, Iain Hunter, Ulrike Mitchell, Wayne Johnson.
Presented at 2013 ACSM Mtg

PURPOSE : Conflicting reports have been presented regarding the relationship of arch height to injury rate in runners. It is theorized that running barefoot causes an increase in activity of the foot muscles and may result in an increase in arch height and, therefore, a decrease in the rate of knee, soft tissue, and/or medial injuries. The purpose of this study was to determine if transitioning to minimalist running shoes has an effect on arch height in experienced recreational runners.

METHODS : Thirty nine experienced recreational runners, ages 18-45, participated
in this study. All runners had been running 15-30 miles per week for the past 6 months and were free from lower extremity injury. Arch height (AH) was measured from both feet of each runner in both standing and neutral positions (foot in subtalar neutral with the knee at a 90 degree angle) using the VariFit Pin-Casting Matrix and Accu-Pin scanner before and after 10 weeks of running. Runners were randomly assigned to the Minimalist (M) or Control (C) group (M n=19, C n=20). The control group was instructed to maintain their typical running regimen for 10 weeks. The minimalist group transitioned from traditional running shoes to minimalist shoes by gradually replacing mileage in traditional shoes with mileage in the minimalist shoes. A mixed model ANOVA was used to analyze differences between groups from pre- to post-tests.

RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the groups in either foot or
position, during both pre- and post-tests - Left Neutral AH (Mpre = 15.5 ± 3.4, post
= 14.9 ± 4.1, Cpre = 16.1 ± 2.9, Cpost = 15.8 ± 3.5; p=.77); Left Standing AH (Mpre
= 10.6 ± 4.7, Mpost = 10.6 ± 4.5, Cpre = 10.9 ± 2.8, Cpost = 11.3 ± 3.2; p=.73); Right Neutral AH (Mpre = 14.3 ± 3.8, Mpost = 14.7 ± 3.5, Cpre = 15.8 ± 3.8, Cpost = 15.6 ± 2.6; p=.43); Right Standing AH (Mpre = 9.63 ± 3.2, Mpost = 10.0 ± 3.7, Cpre = 9.8 ± 3.2, Cpost = 10.7 ± 3.3; p=.47).

CONCLUSIONS : Ten weeks of transitioning to minimalist running shoes did not
cause a significant change in neutral or standing arch height. The effect of minimalist
running on arch height and/or injury rates is either negligible or requires a longer
exposure time for significant effects. Further research should be conducted using a
population of runners with low arches to see if running in minimalist running shoes is
effective in increasing their arch heights.
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Craig Payne · May 14, 2013

just like I predicted in my blog post:
Does Barefoot Running Lead to a Higher Arch of the Foot?

Admin2 · May 14, 2013

Related Thread:
Minimalist Running Does NOT Increase Arch Strength
Muscle Strength and Arch Height
Do running shoes weaken muscles?
Other threads tagged with barefoot running

NewsBot · Aug 30, 2016

THE EFFECTS OF BAREFOOT RUNNING ON OVERPRONATION IN RUNNERS
RM Russell, S Simmons
International Journal of Exercise Science: Conference Proceedings: Vol. 8: Iss. 4, Article 42.

The study of overpronation in runners has remained a subject yet to be explored. With evidence to suggest the wide range of overuse injuries caused by overpronation, this subject needs to be researched. Barefoot running has appeared in the spotlight in the running community recently, but is still a misunderstood subject. There are many theories claiming the benefit of barefoot running, yet little research to support them.
PURPOSE: To determine the effects of barefoot running on overpronation in intercollegiate cross-country runners using a customized questionnaire and the Foot Posture Index (FPI).
METHODS: Measurement of the foot posture was taken using the FPI in a multi-plane, multi-angular fashion. The foot position was in quiet standing with equal weight distributed and toes pointing forward. Using six criteria the foot posture was measured in a variety of different categories and added to create the total score. The total score was sorted into one of the five categories: severely pronated, moderately pronated, neutral, moderately supinated and severely supinated. A total score of 6 and above indicated a moderate to severe pronated foot, and a score below 0 indicated a moderate to severe supinated foot. A total of 8 female cross-country runners (n=8) participated in the experiment. To reduce the risk of injury, the runners were first introduced to barefoot walking for two weeks, three days a week, with increasing time intervals. They then transitioned progressively to barefoot running three days a week for two weeks. The measurements were divided into two groups 1) The FPI total score pre-test, 2) and the FPI total score post-test.
RESULTS: Four weeks of barefoot running training significantly decreased overpronation in runners measured by the Foot Posture Index: FPI pre-intervention total score 5.625 ? 2.875; FPI post-intervention total score 3.376 ? 2.264; t (7)=3.473, p=.010.
CONCLUSION: The data showed significant decreases in the total score showing improvement in lessening overpronation. This suggests barefoot running can significantly improve overpronation in runners
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NewsBot · Feb 20, 2023

Four weeks minimalist shoe walking improves
measures of foot posture and balance in healthy
young adults – a randomized controlled trial
Anna Gabriel et al
Research Square

Research suggests that running in minimalist shoes (MS) positively influences local and non-directly
adjacent areas of the dorsal chain (DC). This study investigates the effects of 4-week MS walking in
non‑runners.
28 healthy participants (15f, 13m; 25.3 ± 5.3 yrs; 70.2 ± 11.9 kg; 175.0 ± 7.8 cm) were randomly assigned
to a control or intervention group. The intervention group undertook a 4‑week incremental walking
program in MS, which included a daily step count of 3,000 steps/day in the first week increasing to 5,000
steps/day for the remaining 3 weeks. The control group walked in their preferred shoe (no MS). We
assessed the following parameters in a laboratory at baseline [M1], and after the 4-week intervention
[M2]: Foot parameters (e.g. FPI‑6), lower limb ROM, balance during single-leg stance, and muscle strength
of the DC. For statistical analysis, stepwise linear regression models in forward selection were calculated.
In the MS group, the FPI-6 (b = -3.72, t(51) = -6.05, p < .001, [-4.94, 2.51]) and balance (b = -17.96, t(49) =
-2.56, p = .01, [-31.54, 4.37]) significantly improved from M1 to M2, but not all other parameters (all p
>.05).
Walking with MS might be an advantageous intervention for non-runners.
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