Variable stiffness shoes lower knee adduction moment in normal walking without walking speed change

Walking speed is one of the important factors in gait analysis. The purpose of the study is to examine the walking speed variation and biomechanical effects caused by the walking speed after wearing the Variable Stiffness Shoes (VSS). Twenty subjects were instructed to walk in three shod conditions, i.e., control shoes, VSS, and VSS after 60-minute of adaptation. The results showed that the walking speed was not changed significantly after wearing the VSS and the EKAM was lowered in the VSS. It means that tibiofemoral joint is less adducted and medial knee joint is less compressed in the VSS than the control shoes during the similar loading exposure in medial knee.