Comparison of Force and Flexibility in Gait Analysis of Sunnystep and New Balance Shoes

Abstract

The goal of this paper is to discern if there exist any differences in forces, acceleration, and muscle stiffness when wearing different pairs of footwear. The first pair of shoes tested were New Balance shoes and the second were Sunnystep shoes. From the data, it was shown that on average the body experiences more force when wearing the Sunnystep shoes. The data also demonstrated that the feet had higher acceleration during walking in the Sunnystep shoes than the New Balance shoes, meaning more "stomping" was occurring and thus more impact on the joints. Finally, the Sunnystep shoes had significant effects in decreasing calf stiffness but did not appear to affect hip stiffness. Overall, the Sunnystep shoes were worse for the joints but better for the muscle flexibility.