Abstract
Footwear affects the biomechanics of children’s gait; however, there has been less
research addressing the energetics of walking with and without shoes. This study investigated
the effects of barefoot and shod walking on metabolic parameters in children. 25 children
(9.7±1.4 years) walked at a self-selected pace for 5 min on an instrumented treadmill
under 2 footwear conditions (barefoot, running shoe). Vertical oscillations of centre
of mass were calculated from ground reaction forces. Expired gases were collected
in the last minute of each trial. Paired t-tests revealed significantly higher oxygen
consumption (17.6±2.5 ml.kg−1.min−1 vs. 16.3±3.1 ml.kg−1.min−1), energy expenditure (3.25±0.86 kcal.min−1 vs. 2.97±0.68 kcal.min−1), and economy (298.2±47.5 ml.kg−1.km−1 vs. 275.9±56.9 ml.kg−1.km−1) during the shod condition. There was no difference in substrate utilization between
conditions. The barefoot condition elicited a smaller centre of mass vertical displacement
(1.24±0.14 cm vs. 1.34±0.17 cm). At a natural walking speed, barefoot walking is more
economical than shod walking at the same velocity in children. The higher energy cost
of shod walking should be considered when evaluating the use of footwear by children.
Key Words
physiology - paediatrics - footwear - gait
