In-shoe plantar pressures during activities of daily living: Implications for therapeutic footwear design

Pressures on the plantar surface of the foot during activities of daily living were measured in 12 young, healthy subjects using an in-shoe pressure- measuring device. The tasks chosen were standing, slow and fast walking, slow running, walking up and down stairs, rising from and sitting in a chair, and walking in a circle. All except the sitting tasks showed significantly higher pressures in all regions of the foot compared with standing, with the exception of walking up stairs and walking down stairs in the heel region. Both running and walking in a circle led to higher pressures (up to 1.42 times greater) in the total foot compared with 'normal' walking. Furthermore, pressures during other activities were not always well predicted by walking pressures (r² = 0.10-0.77). Therefore, measurement during level walking alone cannot be considered to fully define the plantar pressure affecting a foot in a particular shoe during activities of daily life.