Tibiocalcaneal kinematics during barefoot and in barefoot-inspired shoes in comparison to conventional running footwear

Excessive coronal and transverse plane motions of the ankle and tibia are linked to the development of a number of chronic injuries. This study examined differences in tibiocalcaneal kinematics between barefoot and shod running and also between several barefoot inspired footwear models in relation to barefoot and shod running. Sixteen male participants ran at 4.0 m.s-1 in each footwear condition. Tibiocalcaneal kinematics were measured using an eight-camera motion analysis system and compared using repeated-measures ANOVA The results indicate that the barefoot and more minimal barefoot inspired footwear models were associated with significantly greater eversion and tibial internal rotation parameters in running in conventional footwear. The observations of this investigation have potential clinical relevance as excessive eversion/tibial internal rotation are implicated in the aetiology of injury