0040517520986511.pdf (812.76 kB)
Are running socks beneficial for comfort? The role of the sock and sock fiber type on shoe microclimate and subjective evaluations
journal contribution
posted on 2021-01-26, 11:46 authored by Anna West, George HavenithGeorge Havenith, Simon HodderSimon HodderThis study evaluated the effect of socks (different in fiber type) and the effect of not wearing a sock on perceptions of thermal comfort in relation to changes in foot skin temperature and shoe microclimate (temperature and humidity) during rest and exercise. Ten females completed five trials on separate occasions. Four socks (cotton, wool, polyester, Coolmax) and no sock were evaluated. Trials were conducted at 23°C, 50% relative humidity and consisted of rest (10 min seated), treadmill running (40 min, 7.5 km·h−1) and recovery (15 min seated). Foot skin temperature and shoe microclimate were measured at seven sites on the right foot. Foot skin hydration was measured at nine foot sites. Perceptual responses were recorded. Foot thermo-physiological and foot perceptual responses were similar for all sock conditions (p > 0.05). Similar foot thermo-physiological responses were also observed between the sock and no sock conditions (p > 0.05). Interestingly, however, not wearing a sock resulted in greater perceptions of foot wetness, stickiness and discomfort (p < 0.05). As tactile interactions caused by foot movement within the shoe are strong predictors of foot wetness perception (a key contributor to wear discomfort), socks are important in reducing the tactile cues generated. The sock is therefore an important area for development and relevant for overall improvements in footwear comfort.
History
School
- Design and Creative Arts
Department
- Design
Published in
Textile Research JournalVolume
91Issue
15-16Pages
1698-1712Publisher
SAGEVersion
- VoR (Version of Record)
Rights holder
© The AuthorsPublisher statement
This is an Open Access Article. It is published by SAGE under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International Licence (CC BY 4.0). Full details of this licence are available at: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/Acceptance date
2020-12-17Publication date
2021-01-21Copyright date
2021ISSN
0040-5175eISSN
1746-7748Publisher version
Language
- en