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Review
. 2017 Mar/Apr;9(2):126-131.
doi: 10.1177/1941738117690717. Epub 2017 Feb 2.

The Athletic Shoe in Football

James Jastifer  1 , Richard Kent  2   3 , Jeff Crandall  2   3 , Chris Sherwood  2 , David Lessley  2 , Kirk A McCullough  4 , Michael J Coughlin  5 , Robert B Anderson  6
Affiliations
Review

The Athletic Shoe in Football

James Jastifer et al. Sports Health. 2017 Mar/Apr.

Abstract

Background: Foot and ankle injuries are common in sports, particularly in cleated athletes. Traditionally, the athletic shoe has not been regarded as a piece of protective equipment but rather as a part of the uniform, with a primary focus on performance and subjective feedback measures of comfort. Changes in turf and shoe design have poorly understood implications on the health and safety of players.

Evidence acquisition: A literature search of the MEDLINE and PubMed databases was conducted. Keywords included athletic shoewear, cleated shoe, football shoes, and shoewear, and search parameters were between the years 2000 and 2016.

Study design: Clinical review.

Level of evidence: Level 5.

Results: The athletic shoe is an important piece of protective sports equipment. There are several important structural considerations of shoe design, including biomechanical compliance, cleat and turf interaction, and shoe sizing/fit, that affect the way an athlete engages with the playing surface and carry important potential implications regarding player safety if not understood and addressed.

Conclusion: Athletic footwear should be considered an integral piece of protective equipment rather than simply an extension of the uniform apparel. More research is needed to define optimal shoe sizing, the effect that design has on mechanical load, and how cleat properties, including pattern and structure, interact with the variety of playing surfaces.

Keywords: athletic shoewear; cleated shoe; footwear.

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Conflict of interest statement

The following authors declared potential conflicts of interest: Richard Kent, PhD, is a paid consultant for the NFL. Jeff Crandall, PhD, is a paid consultant for the NFL and has grants/grants pending from the University of Virginia. David Lessley, PhD, is a paid consultant for Biocore. Robert B. Anderson, MD, is a paid consultant for Wright Medical, DJO, Zimmer Biomet, Amniox, and Arthrex; receives royalties from Wright Medical, Arthrex, and Zimmer Biomet; and had travel paid for and received an honorarium for committee chairman duties that included this project oversight from the NFL.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Mechanism of injury to the first metatarsophalangeal (MTP) joint is a hyperdorsiflexion injury.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Performance axis of rotation about the metatarsophalangeal joints, as described by Bojsen-Møller.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Experimental test setup schematic as described by Lessley et al (left; reprinted with permission from Lessley et al) and actual setup (below right), which estimates the 1-2 metatarsophalangeal joint axis located at approximately 70% of the inside length (above right).
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Experimental test setup as described by Kent et al: (a) schematic and (b) actual setup demonstrating a rotational test between the cleat and field surface.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
(a) Inside length measurements used to calculate the 70% of inside length position for (b) width measures taken along the estimated 1-2 metatarsophalangeal joint axis.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Range of length measurements in rank order of length.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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