Midsole cushioning affects joint coupling patterns in running

Using continuous relative phase (CRP) methodology, we quantified shank-foot couplings in time periods surrounding initial ground contact in runners wearing two shoe conditions with extreme differences in midsole cushioning levels. Non-linear mixed effects modeling was used to examine for differences of relative phase coupling plots between footwear. Shank-foot coupling patterns were found to be significantly different between shoes with high vs low amounts of midsole cushioning.