A Biomechanical Comparison of Therapeutic Footwear and Athletic and Low-Cost Generic Shoes: Effects on Plantar Pressure, Lower Extremity Kinematics, and Kinetics

Introduction: Therapeutic footwear has been often prescribed in clinical practice for accommodating foot deformities and preventing the development of ulceration, yet scientific evidence is limited and outdated. This study aimed to investigate the effects of two types of Orthofeet therapeutic footwear in comparison to low-cost generic as well as participants’ own athletic shoes on plantar pressure as well as lower extremity kinematics and kinetics. Methods: Twenty healthy participants without foot disorders or pain walked at self-paced speeds under each of the four footwear conditions. In-shoe plantar pressures were measured using F-Scan, and the gait kinematics and kinetics in the sagittal plane were obtained. The foot was divided into eight anatomical zones and three combined zones (forefoot, mid-foot, and hind foot), with peak plantar pressures recorded in each zone. Results: The therapeutic footwear showed significantly greater ankle dorsiflexion during late midstance and less ankle plantar flexion during push-off than generic shoes. Similarly, larger ankle plantar flexor torques were shown when wearing therapeutic footwear. Therapeutic footwear modified the plantar pressure distribution, increasing the peak pressure under the big toe while slightly reducing the peak pressure under the medial heel. The participants’ own athletic shoes provided slightly distinct outcome measures yet comparable performance when compared to therapeutic footwear. Conclusions: This study suggests that therapeutic footwear offers some distinct biomechanical modifications compared with generic shoes. Future studies are needed to assess if these changes lead to meaningful clinical outcomes, such as reduced injury risk or improved foot health.