Applied Ergonomics · Apr 30, 2025

The effect of minimal shoes in combination with textured and supportive insoles on static and dynamic stability in older adults'

By Haowlader S, Apps C, Bisele M et al.

This study investigated the effects of minimal shoes and their combination with textured and supportive insoles on spatiotemporal gait parameters, functional mobility, and static stability compared to barefoot and habitual footwear in healthy older adults. Forty participants completed a 2-min walk test, a Timed Up and Go test, and a bipedal standing test to assess dynamic and static stability. One-way repeated measures analysis of variance followed by Bonferroni post-hoc pairwise comparisons showed that all minimal shoe combinations and barefoot improved static stability compared to habitual footwear. The barefoot condition results longer TUG time, shorter stride lengths, and increased cadence during the walk test. Textured insoles improve static stability in eyes open condition, while supportive insoles in minimal shoes benefited dynamic tasks. These findings suggest that insole properties have different effects on static and dynamic stability in older adults, offering a better alternative to walking barefoot or using minimal shoes alone.

doi.org/10.1016/j.apergo.2025.104548Open accessPubMed 40311260Interventions