The effects of Footwear on Standing Posture Control.

Influences on dynamic balance were examined by comparing footwear with clog thongs such as slippers with clog thongs, to footwear without them such as slippers without clog thongs, leather-soled sandals, and Japanese socks. Forty three university students in good health took part in this examination. In the case of footwear with clog thongs, postural response latencies to horizontal movement of the platform were decreased when compared with that for slippers without clog thongs. In the case of footwear with clog thongs, standing strength was decreased when the platform moved horizontally, compared with that for slippers without clog thongs. Among footwear with clog thongs, in the case of Japanese socks, both latency and strength were minimal compared to slippers with clog thongs and leather-soled sandals. Therefore, it can be said that footwear with thin soles, low heels and clog thongs the most stable and the best for preventing a fall.