Test Standards for Footwear/Orthotics

[Daniel Parker]

Hello,

I have recently been working on tissue biomechanics with a focus on the plantar soft tissues, and am now at a point of attempting to make my work relevant to the footwear and orthotic industry. My understanding of the current methods for deriving mechanical properties of insoles and footwear is limited, having attended some conferences, trade demonstrations and read various ISO's.

Would anyone be able to point me in the direction of a comprehensive list of standards for assessing material properties in footwear/orthotics, or other relevant sources of test methods.

Thank you very much for your time,

Daniel Parker,
PhD Student
University of Salford

[Kimberley Andersen]

Re: Test Standards for Footwear/Orthotics

They're not comprehensive, but these three papers may be of some help. The first two describe different ways to assess boot stiffness (which should be transferable to normal shoes) and the last conducted mechanical testing on four different insoles.

Cikajlo, I & Matjacic, Z 2007, 'The influence of boot stiffness on gait kinematics and kinetics during stance phase', Ergonomics, vol. 50, no. 12, pp. 2171-2182.

Krumm, D & Schwanitz, S 2013, 'Development and Reliability Quantification of a Novel Test Set-Up for Measuring Footwear', Sports Engineering, vol. 16, no. 1, pp. 13-19.

Dixon, SJ, Waterworth, C, Smith, CV & House, CM 2003, 'Biomechanical analysis of running in military boots with new and degraded insoles', Med Sci Sports Exerc, vol. 35, no. 3, pp. 472-479.

Hope they're helpful.

[zilahuma.123]

Re: Test Standards for Footwear/Orthotics

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[Brian Schulz]

Re: Test Standards for Footwear/Orthotics

Daniel,

I don't know about footwear or insoles, but here's a review of orthosis test techniques that might be useful: http://www.rehab.research.va.gov/jou...bayashi485.pdf

[Neal Wiggermann]

Re: Test Standards for Footwear/Orthotics

Hi Daniel,

In my dissertation research I also had the need to document the material properties of the footwear that I included in my experiments. Like you I found several several standards but couldn't find any that were perfectly relevant to my application (prolonged standing). If I recall, most of the standards I came across were for tests of rubber. Unfortunately, I don't remember all of the details of what I was able to find at the time, and can't find the old standards I printed off. But if it helps my dissertation is posted on the internet and the Appendix describes how I ultimately tested the shoes. Basically I used an MTS (or Instron) to measure the stiffness and a few other properties of the soles of the shoes.

Here's the link: http://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstr...pdf?sequence=1

If that doesn't work the title of the dissertation is: "The Effect of Flooring Surface Compliance on Plantar Pressures and Discomfort During Prolonged Standing". That and my name "Neal Wiggermann" should turn it up.

(By the way Brian, that link was interesting. It definitely gives one an appreciation of the much greater complexities involved with measuring orthosis)

Neal Wiggermann, Ph.D.
Senior Biomedical Engineer
Ergonomics Specialist
Hill-Rom
neal.wiggermann@hill-rom.com
812-931-2016

[Tim Blackmore]

Re: Test Standards for Footwear/Orthotics

Hi Daniel

These have proved useful for me. They are from the American Society for Testing and Materials. http://www.astm.org/Standard/index.shtml

ASTM F1614 - 99(2006) Standard Test Method for Shock Attenuating Properties of Materials Systems for Athletic Footwear.
ASTM F1976 - 06 Standard Test Method for Impact Attenuation Properties of Athletic Shoes Using an Impact Test.

However, you do need to pay to view them. If this is a problem email me and I may be able to help.

Regards

Tim Blackmore