International Society of Biomechanics in Sports (ISBS)
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to use paired comparison approach to test the weighted shoe preference of the subjects. Forty subjects were recruited to put on five different weighted shoes and choose the preferred one after completing four paired comparisons. During the test, subjects were blind of any information from the shoes. The results showed that thirty-two (80%) out of the forty subjects preferred Shoe D or E, which centre of mass was close to the rear end of the shoe. Significant difference was found in shoe preference between the males and females (?24=10.500, p=.033), while was not found between the lighters and heaviers (?24=5.583, p=.233). The mechanism of the gender effect on the preference decision are unclear. The results of the weighted shoe preference test could be applied to athlete training or rehabilitation shoe design to be comfortable for the users
