The Impact of Arch Support Sandals on Walking Giat: A Comparative Study with Flatbed Sandals and Barefoot Walking in Healthy Young Adults

Background: Footwear significantly influences walking gait, affecting stability, balance and biomechanical efficiency. Arch support sandals gained attention for promoting foot alignment and comfort, but evidence on their effectiveness is mixed. This study investigates the impact of different sandal designs on walking gait in healthy young male adults. Methodology: Thirty undergraduate participants were access wearing flatbed sandals, two types of arch support sandals—MyFeet and MediFeet, and walking barefoot walking as a baseline. Participants walked with their preferable speed on instrumented treadmill with a G-walk sensor was placed around the S1 vertebra of the spine. Vertical ground reaction force, propulsion, gait quality index, pelvic symmetry index and global symmetry index were analyzed using ANOVA to examine the differences among the types of footwear. Results: Footwear did not significantly impact walking VGRF and propulsion. However, arch support sandals significantly improved the gait symmetry index, particularly when participants wore MyFeet sandals. Sandals with different arch height also significantly altered the pelvic obliquity symmetry index. Conclusion: The arch support sandals used in this study demonstrated significant advantages in enhancing walking gait biomechanics, specifically by improving the gait symmetry index.