Subjective evaluation of running footwear depends on country and assessment method: a bi-national study

This study examined (1) the perception of running shoes between China (Beijing) and Singapore and (2) whether running shoe preference depended on assessment methods. One hundred (n = 50 each country) Chinese males subjectively evaluated four shoe models during running by using two assessment procedures. Procedure 1 used a visual analogue scale (VAS) to assess five perception variables. Procedure 2 was a 'head-to-head' comparison of two shoes simultaneously (e.g. left foot: A and right foot: B) to decide which model was preferred. VAS scores were consistently higher in Beijing participants (p < .001), indicating a higher degree of liking. Singapore participants used the lower end but a wider range of the 15 cm scale for shoe discrimination. Moderate agreement was seen between the VAS and 'head-to-head' procedures, with only 14 out of 100 participants matched all 6 pairwise comparisons (median = 4 matches). Footwear companies and researchers should be aware that subjective shoe preference may vary with assessment methods. Practitioner Summary: Footwear preference depends on country and assessment methods. Running shoe perception differed between Beijing and Singapore Chinese, suggesting that footwear recommendation should be country-specific. Individuals' shoe preference measured by visual analogue scale when wearing complete pairs may not reflect that when directly comparing different models in left and right feet.