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Li PL, Yick KL, Yip J, Ng SP. Influence of Upper Footwear Material Properties on Foot Skin Temperature, Humidity and Perceived Comfort of Older Individuals. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF ENVIRONMENTAL RESEARCH AND PUBLIC HEALTH 2022; 19:10861. [PMID: 36078575 PMCID: PMC9518374 DOI: 10.3390/ijerph191710861] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/12/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 08/30/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Studying the in-shoe microclimate of older individuals is important for enhancing their foot comfort and preventing foot diseases. However, there is a lack of scientific work that explores the thermo-physiological wear comfort of older individuals with different footwear. This study aims to examine the effects of upper footwear materials on changes and distributions in the foot skin temperature and relative humidity for older individuals. Forty older individuals are recruited to perform sitting and walking activities under four experimental conditions in a conditioning chamber. The findings indicate that footwear upper constructed of highly permeable mesh fabric with large air holes shows fewer changes in foot skin temperature (ranging from 1.3 to 3.3 °C) and relative humidity (ranging from -13.3 to 5.7%) throughout the entire foot during dynamic walking, as well as higher subjective ratings on perceived thermal comfort when compared to footwear made of synthetic leather and composite layers. The findings serve to enhance current understanding of designing footwear with optimum comfort for older adults.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pui-Ling Li
- School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design, Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Kit-Lun Yick
- School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design, Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Joanne Yip
- School of Fashion and Textiles, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China
- Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence in Design, Hong Kong Science Park, New Territories, Hong Kong SAR, China
| | - Sun-Pui Ng
- School of Professional Education and Executive Development, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hung Hom, Hong Kong SAR, China
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Footwear microclimate and its effects on the microbial community of the plantar skin. Sci Rep 2021; 11:20356. [PMID: 34645918 PMCID: PMC8514438 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-99865-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/07/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
The association between the footwear microclimate and microbial community on the foot plantar skin was investigated by experiments with three participants. Novel methods were developed for measuring in-shoe temperature and humidity at five footwear regions, as well as the overall ventilation rate inside the footwear. Three types of footwear were tested including casual shoes, running shoes, and perforated shoes for pairwise comparison of footwear microclimate and corresponding microbial community on the skin. The major findings are as follows: (1) footwear types make a significant difference to in-shoe temperature at the instep region with the casual shoes sustaining the warmest of all types; (2) significant differences were observed in local internal absolute humidity between footwear types, with the casual shoes sustaining the highest level of humidity at most regions; (3) the perforated shoes provided the highest ventilation rate, followed by running and casual shoes, and the faster the gait, the larger the discrepancy in ventilation rate between footwear types; (4) the casual shoes seemed to provide the most favorable internal environment for bacterial growth at the distal plantar skin; and (5) the bacterial growth at the distal plantar skin showed a positive linear correlation with the in-shoe temperature and absolute humidity, and a negative linear correlation with the ventilation rate. The ventilation rate seemed to be a more reliable indicator of the bacterial growth. Above all, we can conclude that footwear microclimate varies in footwear types, which makes contributions to the bacterial growth on the foot plantar skin.
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Jimenez-Perez I, Gil-Calvo M, Salvador-Palmer R, Cibrián Ortiz de Anda RM, Pérez-Soriano P, Priego-Quesada JI. Footwear outsole temperature may be more related to plantar pressure during a prolonged run than foot temperature. Physiol Meas 2021; 42. [PMID: 34186519 DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/ac0fbe] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Accepted: 06/29/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective. The temperature of the sole of the foot has been suggested as an alternative to the measurement of plantar pressure during running despite the scarce evidence about their relationship. The temperature of the footwear outsole could also be representative of plantar pressure distribution due to its less multifactorial dependence. The aim of the study was to determine if plantar pressure during a prolonged run could be related to plantar temperature, either of the sole of the foot or the footwear outsole.Approach. Thirty recreational runners (15 males and 15 females) performed a 30 min running test on a treadmill. Thermographic images of the sole of the foot and the footwear outsole were taken before and immediately after the test, and dynamic plantar pressure was measured at the end of the test. Pearson correlations and stepwise multiple linear regressions were performed.Main results.Plantar pressure percentage was related to a moderate correlation with plantar temperature percentage in forefoot and rearfoot (P < 0.05), showing a greater relationship with the footwear outsole than with the sole of the foot (r = 0.52-0.73 versusr = 0.40-0.61, respectively). Moreover, moderate correlations were also observed between footwear outsole and sole of the foot temperature variables, especially in rearfoot.Significance. Footwear outsole temperature may be better related to plantar pressure distribution than sole of the foot temperature, in the forefoot and rearfoot. The midfoot is the most sensitive and variable region to analyze, as it does not seem to have any relationship with plantar pressure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Jimenez-Perez
- Research Group in Sports Biomechanics (GIBD), Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, St: Gascó Oliag, 3, E-46010, Valencia, Spain.,Research Group in Medical Physics (GIFIME), Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Ave: Blasco Ibáñez, 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Marina Gil-Calvo
- Research Group in Sports Biomechanics (GIBD), Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, St: Gascó Oliag, 3, E-46010, Valencia, Spain.,Department of Physiatry and Nursing, Faculty of Health and Sport Science (FCSD), University of Zaragoza, Ronda Misericordia, 5, E-22001 Huesca, Spain
| | - Rosario Salvador-Palmer
- Research Group in Medical Physics (GIFIME), Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Ave: Blasco Ibáñez, 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Rosa Ma Cibrián Ortiz de Anda
- Research Group in Medical Physics (GIFIME), Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Ave: Blasco Ibáñez, 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Pedro Pérez-Soriano
- Research Group in Sports Biomechanics (GIBD), Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, St: Gascó Oliag, 3, E-46010, Valencia, Spain
| | - Jose Ignacio Priego-Quesada
- Research Group in Sports Biomechanics (GIBD), Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, St: Gascó Oliag, 3, E-46010, Valencia, Spain.,Research Group in Medical Physics (GIFIME), Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Ave: Blasco Ibáñez, 15, E-46010, Valencia, Spain
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Gil-Calvo M, Priego-Quesada JI, Jimenez-Perez I, Lucas-Cuevas A, Pérez-Soriano P. Effects of prefabricated and custom-made foot orthoses on skin temperature of the foot soles after running. Physiol Meas 2019; 40:054004. [DOI: 10.1088/1361-6579/ab1c8c] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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