Differences in Electromyographic Activities and Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters between General and Developed Insoles with a Toe-Grip Bar

The present study was aimed at comparing the muscle activities and gait parameters between the toe-grip bar insoles and general insoles during walking using randomized crossover design. Twelve healthy men participated in this study. Temporal and spatial gait parameters and electromyography (EMG) results were concurrently collected while the subjects walked along an 8 m walkway with the developed and general insoles. Developed insoles provide a three-dimensional mesh structure at the toe portion and a convex bulging structure (toe-grip bar) near the center of the proximal phalanx of the first to fifth toe. The linear mixed model was used to estimate the toe-grip bar insole effect. The results showed that there were no sequence or period effects for any of the examined parameters. During the stance phase, those wearing the developed insoles had significantly higher %IEMG for the TA, GM, and GL than those wearing the general insoles (TA: 5.03%IEMG, p = 0.005; GM: 4.65%IEMG, p = 0.046; and GL: 6.50%IEMG, p = 0.008). During the swing phase, those wearing the developed insoles had significantly higher activity for only the TA compared to those wearing the general insoles (5.54%IEMG, p = 0.011). With respect to gait parameters, those wearing the developed insoles had greater step length (2.81 cm, p = 0.038), longer stance time (0.03 s, p = 0.001), and shorter swing time (−0.02 s, p = 0.003) compared to those wearing the general insoles. The results suggest that walking with toe-grip bar insoles contributes to increased crural muscle activity and step length.