A Comparison of Metatarsal Pads on Pressure Redistribution in High Heeled Shoes

Foot health is very important for women. Previous studies have demonstrated that the wearing of high heeled shoes could create high forefoot pressure and cause many foot problems. Metatarsal pads are often used in plantar pressure relief. Therefore, the effects of several different metatarsal pads for high heeled shoes are investigated in this study. There are three tested materials, including bio-gel, polyurethane and EVA. Forefoot pressure, heel pressure, and comfort level are recorded and analyzed. The results show that the insertions of all types of metatarsal pads reduce forefoot peak pressure and increase heel peak pressure during walking. Polyurethane is the most efficient material, which relieves the forefoot peak pressure by 35.54% compared to circumstances without the padding. In addition, the subjective comfort level is significantly improved when the bio-gel pad is applied. The results from this study could be useful in the designing of metatarsal pads for high heeled shoes.