The Pre-test for Development of Insole which Maintains Constant Temperature in Shoe

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the change in plantar skin temperature in normal subjects wearing five different kinds of insoles. METHOD: Twenty normal subjects were chosen and were made to walk on a treadmill for five 30-minute sessions wearing the same shoes, and wearing five different kinds of insoles (four types were endothermic insoles, but one type was a normal insole) respectively. Subjects sat on a chair for 10 minutes before and after walking. The plantar skin temperature was recorded on 4 sites (from channel 1 to 4) on each left insole. The plantar skin temperature was recorded every 10 seconds for a total of 50 minutes, with T-type Thermocouple(R). RESULTS: There were no statistical differences in the change of plantar skin temperature for each insole before, during and after walking. No statistical differences in subjective thermal sense and Borg Rating on perceived exertion scale for each insole before, during and after walking. Time in peak plantar temperature was 25.9~28.3 minutes (after subjects starts walking), wearing normal insole. CONCLUSION: There was no statistical difference in the change of plantar skin temperature for the five different kinds of insoles However, we found this method to be effective in examining plantar skin temperature during walking.