Arch-pad design and insole material jointly influence regional plantar loading and perceived comfort during walking in women’s occupational footwear

This study examined immediate effects of insole material and arch-pad design on perceived comfort and in-shoe plantar pressure in women's occupational shoes. Sixteen healthy young women completed nine randomised within-subject conditions (polyurethane, open-cell foams or silicone × no pad, arch-pad 1 or arch-pad 2) during level walking in standardised 35-mm heel shoes. Plantar pressure (contact area, peak pressure and pressure-time integral) was measured with an in-shoe pressure system, and comfort was rated using a footwear comfort scale. Arch-pad conditions increased medial-midfoot contact area and reduced pressure-time integral in selected forefoot and heel regions, while increasing pressure-time integral at the medial midfoot and peak pressure at toes 2-5. Material effects were smaller and more region-specific, and material-by-arch interactions were observed for pressure-time integral at the lateral forefoot and medial heel. These acute findings may inform early-stage insole prototyping but require validation under longer-duration, task-representative occupational conditions.