Do worn-in tactical boots affect lower extremity kinematics during running?

Engineering of Sport 15 - Proceedings from the 15th International Conference on the Engineering of Sport (ISEA 2024)

Footwear is one of the most influential factors for lower extremity non-combative musculoskeletal injuries (MSKIs) in service members and tactical athletes. New boots, without long-term wear history, have been shown to alter lower extremity bioemchanics, thus altering gait patterns demonstrated when wearing typical athletic shoes and increasing risk of injury. The majority of research has been conducted on the effects and implications of brand-new tactical boots on biomechanics of the foot and ankle. These research limitations make the translation of results to tactical athletes currently wearing worn-in boots, or boots that have a long-term wear history, challenging. In recreational running, it has been suggested that shoes should be replaced after 500-700 kilometers of use as the forceattenuating properties of the shoe degrade. Currently, there is no recommendation for the replacement of tactical boots. Unsuprisingly, more contemporary investigations of the force-attenuating properties of worn-in running shoes have demonstrated increased peak plantar pressures compared to brand new running shoes. Thus, the purpose of this study was to compare lower extremity kinematics between worn-in boots and running shoes during running. We hypothesized that participants will demonstrate reduced peak ankle, knee, and hip joint angles in worn-in boots. Primary variables of interest include peak, heel strike and toe-off joint angles in the sagittal and frontal planes.