Biomechanics of running with rocker shoes

NewsBot · May 4, 2016

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Biomechanics of running with rocker shoes
Sobhan Sobhani, PT, PhD, Edwin R. van den Heuvel, Rienk Dekker, Klaas Postema, Bas Kluitenberg, Steef W. Bredeweg, Juha M. Hijmans
Jnl Biomech; Article in Press

Objectives
Load reduction is an important consideration in conservative management of tendon overuse injuries such as Achilles tendinopathy. Previous research has shown that the use of rocker shoes can reduce the positive ankle power and plantar flexion moment which might help in unloading the Achilles tendon. Despite this promising implication of rocker shoes, the effects on hip and knee biomechanics remain unclear. Moreover, the effect of wearing rocker shoes on different running strike types is unexplored. The aim of this study was to investigate biomechanics of the ankle, knee and hip joints and the role of strike type on these outcomes.

Design
Randomized cross-over study

Methods
In this study, sixteen female endurance runners underwent three-dimensional gait analysis wearing rocker shoes and standard shoes. We examined work, moments, and angles of the ankle, knee and hip during the stance phase of running.

Results
In comparison with standard shoes, running with rocker shoes significantly (p < 0.001) reduced the positive (16%), and negative (32%) work at the ankle joint. Plantar flexion moment peak and impulse were also reduced by 11% and 12%, respectively. Reduction in these variables was almost two times larger for midfoot strikers than for rearfoot strikers. At the knee joint running with rocker shoes significantly increased the positive work (14%), extension moment peak (6%), and extension moment impulse (12%).

Conclusions
These findings indicate that although running with rocker shoes might lower mechanical load on the Achilles tendon, it could increase the risk of overuse injuries of the knee joint.
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Admin2 · May 4, 2016

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Craig Payne · May 4, 2016

This sounds familiar

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These findings indicate that although running with rocker shoes might lower mechanical load on the Achilles tendon, it could increase the risk of overuse injuries of the knee joint.
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Different running shoes and different running techniques load different tissues differently in different runners.

NewsBot · Oct 31, 2018

Effect of rocker shoes and running speed on lower limb mechanics and soft tissue vibrations
R.TramaY.BlacheC.Hautier
Journal of Biomechanics; 27 October 2018

Previous studies have shown a possible effect of running speed and the sole material of footwear on lower-limb mechanics and soft tissue vibrations, while little information has been offered concerning the influence of the shape of the footwear’s sole. The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of running speed and rocker shoes on muscular activity, ground reaction force, and soft tissue vibrations. Twenty participants performed heel-toe running with two shoes, differentiated only by their sole shape (i.e. rocker and non-rocker), at four running speeds. Ground reaction force and electromyograms of the gastrocnemius medialis and vastus lateralis were measured, and soft tissue accelerations of the same muscles were recorded with tri-axial accelerometers. A continuous wavelet transform was applied to the accelerometer’s signals to analyse them in the time-frequency domain. The rocker of the shoes did not change the muscular activations, ground reaction force, nor power of soft tissue vibrations. In opposite, increased running speed led to an augmentation of all of the measured parameters. Interestingly, running speed augmentation led to a greater increase in high frequencies component of soft tissue vibrations (25–50 Hz, 242%) than lower ones (8–25 Hz, 111%). Consequently, we indicated a 10% increase in the relative part of the high frequencies of the total power. In conclusion, although rocker shoes have shown an effect on lower-limb kinetics in some studies, no influence on soft tissue vibration is denoted. By contrast, soft tissue vibrations may be modulated by changing running speed.
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NewsBot · Jun 1, 2019

A biomechanical assessment
of running with hallux unstable shoes
of different material stiffness
QICHANG MEI et al
Acta of Bioengineering and Biomechanics Original paper Vol. 21, No. 1, 2019

Purpose: Functional footwear with different unstable profiles has been widely used to mimic barefoot condition and offload plantar
loading for pathological or injury prevention. However, little research investigates the effect of unstable structure on particular foot
functions. In this study, a prototype of unstable shoe design with unstable element of different stiffness placed at the hallux (a regionalized rocker) was used. The primary objective was to analyse the biomechanical performance of running with hallux unstable shoes,
aiming to potentially stimulate and increase the toe gripping function. Methods: The lower limb kinematics and plantar pressure distribution were measured to comparatively analyse the soft (SS) and hard (SH) unstable shoes with flat control shoes (CS). Results: The SS
showed increased big toe and reduced forefoot plantar pressure. The SS led to similar lower limb kinematics to baseline CS except for
reduced hip abduction, increased rotation range of motion (ROM), increased peak ankle plantar flexion and ROM. The SH presented
significantly altered lower limb kinematics across hip, knee and ankle, and laterally distributed plantar pressure. Conclusions: Unstable
shoes with soft material led to reduced medial metatarsal loading by increasing the support area and modified joint kinematics minimally.
Unstable shoes with stiffer material presented compensatory kinematic movements across all joints and laterally shifted plantar loading
distribution. These findings may provide implications on toe grip function training for foot pressure off-loading
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NewsBot · Jun 29, 2022

Effect of submaximal running in rocker shoes on gluteal muscle activation under different running conditions
L.Freitag et al
Science & Sports 24 June 2022

Objectives
Iliotibialis syndrome is one of the most common types of running injury of the lateral knee. Earlier studies have mainly focused on the relationship between iliotibialis syndrome and hip muscle forces, since the latter are often the target of intervention during rehabilitation. The results suggest that a curved shoe sole may affect lower limb mechanics during running. The main purpose of this study was to assess the effects of different curves of rocker shoes on activation of the musculus gluteus medius and maximus under various running conditions.

Equipment and methods
Fifteen recreational runners (1.77 ± 0.44 m height, 74.25 ± 6.68 kg weight, 23.73 ± 1.79 kg/m2 BMI) were recruited to test three rocker shoes with different forefoot curvatures on a flat laboratory floor and a treadmill at flat, uphill, and downhill gradients. Surface electromyography data were collected for musculus gluteus medius and maximus, resulting in a three-way within-subject design (running condition (4) x shoe (3) x muscle (2)) with 24 measurement combinations for each runner. A linear mixed model was fitted to the data to quantify running condition, shoe curve and muscle effects.

Results
The main effects of running condition, shoe and muscle were estimated. While running uphill, significant decreases were observed in both peak (P = 0.021, log%MVC) and duration (P = 0.015, log%MVC) compared to running on a flat laboratory surface. Both average (0.033 log%MVC) and peak muscle activation (0.069 log%MVC) were increased with a smaller radius of shoe curvature.

Conclusion
In conclusion, the study shows that rocker shoes appear to affect gluteal muscle activation and could potentially assist in stabilising the pelvis during running. This knowledge might be of interest for runners with an increased risk of ITBS and may therefore gain health benefits from wearing rocker shoes.
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NewsBot · Jul 17, 2022

Effect of different forefoot rocker radii on lower-limb joint biomechanics in healthy individuals
L.van Kouwenhove et al
Gait & Posture; Volume 86, May 2021, Pages 150-156

Highlights
•The working mechanism of the forefoot rocker radius during gait is clarified.
•Size of the forefoot rocker radius determines rocker shoe biomechanics.
•Small rocker radii offload the Achilles Tendon better than large radii.
•Quantification and standardisation of the forefoot rocker radius is essential.
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Introduction
Previous studies showed that rocker shoes with a stiff forefoot rocker profile significantly reduce peak plantar flexion moment at the ankle (PFM) and peak ankle dorsiflexion (DF). Both parameters are related to Achilles tendon and Plantar Fascia unloading. The shape of an outsole with a forefoot rocker is described with multiple rocker design parameters. The aim of this research is, to determine the relation between different forefoot rocker radii on peak DF and peak PFM at a self-selected walking speed.

Methods
10 participants walked in standard shoes and three experimental pairs of shoes with different forefoot rocker radii. Lower extremity kinematics and kinetics were collected while walking on an instrumented treadmill at preferred walking speed and analysed with Statistical Parametric Mapping (SPM) (α = .05; post-hoc α = .05/6).

Results
Peak value analyses showed significant decreases in peak DF, peak PFM, and peak ankle power generation for the rocker conditions. No relevant significant differences were found in spatio-temporal parameters and total work at the ankle joint. SPM showed a significant decrease (% gait cycle) in DF (40–69 %), PFM (7–15 %; 41–68 %; 69–81 %), ankle power (10–15 %; 32–51 %; 55–64 %; 64–67 %; 72–80 %) and foot-to-horizontal angle (FHA) (0–4 %; 40–62 %; 92–100 %) and an increased shank-to-vertical angle (SVA) (44–84 %) for the rocker conditions.

Conclusion
The results of this study suggest that rocker shoes with a proximally placed apex significantly reduce DF and PFM during the third rocker compared with control shoes. This effect is mainly explained by a change in the FHA. Smaller radii cause the largest reductions in DF and PFM, so therefore, a uniform standardisation of the forefoot rocker radius is essential.
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