Effect of Insoles with a Toe-Grip Bar on Toe Function and Standing Balance in Healthy Young Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this randomized controlled study was to investigate the effects of insoles with a toe-grip bar on toe function and standing balance in healthy young women. METHODS: Thirty female subjects were randomly assigned to an intervention group or a control group. The intervention group wore shoes with insoles with a toe-grip bar. The control group wore shoes with general insoles. Both groups wore the shoes for 4 weeks, 5 times per week, 9 hours per day. Toe-grip strength, toe flexibility, static balance (total trajectory length and envelope area of the center of pressure), and dynamic balance (functional reach test) were measured before and after the intervention. RESULTS: Significant interactions were observed for toe-grip strength and toe flexibility (F = 12.53, p < 0.01; F = 5.84, p < 0.05, resp.), with significant improvement in the intervention group compared with that in the control group. Post hoc comparisons revealed that both groups showed significant improvement in toe-grip strength (p < 0.01 and p < 0.05, resp.), with higher benefits observed for the intervention group (p < 0.01). Conversely, no significant interaction was observed in the total trajectory length, envelope area, and functional reach test. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that insoles with a toe-grip bar contribute to improvements in toe-grip strength and toe flexibility in healthy young women.