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. 2000 Jan-Mar;35(1):38–43.

Effects of High-Top and Low-Top Shoes on Ankle Inversion

Mark D Ricard *, Shane S Schulties *, Jose J Saret †
PMCID: PMC1323436  PMID: 16558606

Abstract

Objective:

To determine the differences in the rate and amount of ankle inversion in subjects wearing high-top and low-top shoes.

Design and Setting:

Subjects were filmed at 60 Hz while on an inversion platform that suddenly inverted the right ankle 35°. We measured 5 trials of sudden inversion for each subject in high-top and low-top shoes.

Subjects:

Twenty male subjects with no history of lower leg injury within the previous 6 months.

Measurements:

We measured ankle inversion using video motion analysis techniques at 60 Hz. A2 x 5 factorial repeated- measures analysis of variance was used to test for significant differences in the amount of inversion, average rate of inversion, and maximum rate of inversion.

Results:

The high-top shoes significantly reduced the amount and rate of inversion. The high-top shoes reduced the amount of inversion by 4.5°, the maximum rate of inversion by 100.1°/s, and the average rate of inversion by 73.0°/s.

Conclusions:

The high-top shoes were more effective in reducing the amount and rate of inversion than the low-top shoes. Depending upon the loading conditions, high-top shoes may help prevent some ankle sprains.

Keywords: shoe design, inversion, ankle injury, ligament

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Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

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