Effects of Court Specific and Minimalist Footwear on the Biomechanics of a Maximal 180° Cutting Manoeuvre

Abstract

Purpose. The aim of the current investigation was to examine the effects of different footwear on the kinetics and kinematics of performing a 180° cutting manoeuvre. Methods. Nine male participants performed maximal 180° cut movements in court shoes, minimalist footwear, energy return, and conventional running shoes. Lower limb kinematic data were collected with the use of an 8 camera motion capture system, ground reaction forces were quantified with an embedded force platform, and tibial accelerations were obtained by means of an accelerometer. Differences in kinetics and kinematics between footwear were examined by one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Results. The results showed that both instantaneous loading rate and peak tibial acceleration were significantly larger in the minimalist (282.91 BW/s and 6.38 g) and court (326.67 BW/s and 6.35 g) footwear compared with the conventional (143.19 BW/s and 5.46 g) and energy return (106.14 BW/s and 4.98 g) footwear. In addition, peak inversion was revealed to be significantly larger in the minimalist (16.36°) than in conventional (11.86°), court (12.61°), and energy return (10.12°) footwear. Conclusions. These findings indicate that minimalist and court footwear may place athletes at increased risk from injury when performing 180° cut movements. © 2017 Human Movement.