Comparison of plantar pressure distribution between three different shoes and three common movements in futsal

INTRODUCTION: Analysis of in-shoe pressure distribution during sport-specific movements may provide a clue to improve shoe design and prevent injuries. This study compared the mean and the peak pressures over the whole foot and ten separate areas of the foot, wearing different shoes during specific movements. METHODS: Nine male adult recreational futsal players performed three trials of three sport-specific movements (shuffle, sprint and penalty kick), while they were wearing three brands of futsal shoes (Adidas, Lotto and Tiger). Plantar pressures on dominant feet were collected using the F-SCAN system. Peak and mean pressures for whole foot and each separate area were extracted. For statistical analysis, the mean differences in outcome variables between different shoes and movements were estimated using random-effects regression model using STATA ver.10. RESULTS: In the average calculation of the three movements, the peak pressure on the whole foot in Adidas shoe was less than Lotto [8.8% (CI95%: 4.1–13.6%)] and Tiger shoes [11.8% (CI95%:7–16.7%)], (P<0.001). Also, the recorded peak pressure on the whole foot in penalty kick was 61.1% (CI95%: 56.3–65.9%) and 57.6% (CI95%: 52.8–62.3%) less than Shuffle and Sprint tests, respectively (P<0.001). CONCLUSION: Areas with the highest peak pressure during all 3 movements were not different between all shoes. This area was medial forefoot in cases of shuffle and sprint movements and medial heel in case of penalty kick.