Try the balance test with your usual shoes.
Your feet are the main contact with your environment, so it is not surprising that your feet give you important sensory information to help your body balance well. The sensation of touch in the somatosensory system tells you about the external environment, where the ground is, what the surface is like and the objects on it; proprioception tells you the position and movement of your feet and limbs (Menant et al.). Your footwear can alter your feet’s interaction with the environment and therefore, the information they can give to your body to help it to balance (Alghadir et al.)
Did you notice a difference in balance score when wearing different shoes?
The key is to recognize that in choosing some types of shoes, there is a trade-off in balance ability. For those who don’t wish to sacrifice the comfort of soft soles, it may be beneficial to start a balance program that can help strengthen the rest of the balance system to compensate for the dampening effect of their shoes.
Learn more with our blog, “Does Footwear Affect Balance?”
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