A 3-D finite element model of the foot-shoe structure during a walking cycle for shoe sole design

Introduction In the recent years, the effect of shoe sole properties on the sole behaviour has been of main interest to shoe manufacturers. The finite element method has often been used in the medical field to study the effect of various soles such as orthopaedic or high heel soles on foot plantar pressures (Cheung & Zang, 2006; Yu et al, 2008). In the sports field, another approach by Kim et al. (2012) consisted in assessing the effects of sports ground materials on landing impact forces using a coupled foot-shoe-ground finite element model. However, most of the models available in the literature are limited to static or quasi-static conditions and do not simulate a full walking step of a shoed foot.