Effects of shoe heel-toe drop on joint angles and loading when walking uphill

This study examined the effect of heel-toe drop (HTD) on lower extremity kinematic and kinetics change when walking uphill. Ten healthy males walked uphill in identical shoes with varying HTD (0-mm, 15-mm and 30-mm). The present results revealed that participants with 30-mm HTD displayed significant smaller sagittal RoM during walking uphill compared with smaller HTD. Compared to 0-mm HTD, 30-mm HTD generated larger peak knee extension/valgus moments, but smaller ankle plantarflexion/valgus moments when walking uphill.