Shoes Under Pressure
The running gait has different parts, including the take-off, midstride and heel strike.Copyright Zina Deretsky, National Science Foundation http://www.nsf.gov/news/news_summ.jsp?cntn_id=104454
Students explore the basic physics behind walking, and the design and engineering of shoes to accommodate different gaits. They are introduced to pressure, force and impulse as they relate to shoes, walking and running. Students learn about the mechanics of walking, shoe design and common gait misalignments that often lead to injury.
Of the many different types of engineers, some design shoes! Since walking and running are both complex series of movements, shoes are designed to provide support to specific foot areas to prevent injury. Shoes must withstand a multitude of forces, pressures and impacts on a daily basis and for the life of the shoe. Designing a heeled shoe produces a different set of challenges from an athletic shoe, both for the designer and the wearer. Several high-heeled designs feature a storable heel to help alleviate the problems associated with high heels, including driving and long-term discomfort leading to injury.
After this lesson, students should be able to:
- Describe how force and pressure are related.
- Calculate force, pressure, impact force and impulse.
- Identify the different parts of the walking gait.
- Explain how pressures on different parts of the foot increase and decrease while walking or running.
- Explain the difference between overpronation and underpronation, and how to fix the misalignments with orthotics.