Improved gait quality and speed in adults with down syndrome when wearing supportive shoes

Individuals with Down syndrome (DS), often experience a slower gait speed and decreased quality of gait. Different types of footwear have shown changes in gait in people without DS. The current study aimed to examine the differences between wearing commercially available supportive shoes (Saucony Triumph), wearing unsupportive shoes (Crocs Classic Clog), and walking barefoot on gait quality and speed in people with DS. In this repeated-measures study, 20 adults with DS walked under three footwear conditions: supportive footwear, unsupportive footwear, and barefoot. Gait deviations were scored according to the Rancho Los Amigos Observational Gait Analysis (OGA) and gait speed was measured using the 10-Meter Walk Test. The OGA results showed significant differences for overall major deviations (F = 4.045, df = 2, p = 0.026) and overall total deviations (F = 3.621, df = 2, p = .036). Significant fewer gait deviations were found for the supportive shoes compared to barefoot in various gait cycle phases and body regions, but not between supportive and unsupportive shoes. Gait speed during the 10-Meter Walk Test was significantly greater (ANOVA F = 10.509, p < 0.001) when participants wore supportive shoes (1.17 ± 0.23 m/s) compared to when they walked barefoot (1.05 ± 0.23 m/s) and or wore unsupportive shoes (1.01 ± 0.28 m/s, p = 0.003). Adults with DS who wore the supportive shoes demonstrated better gait quality with fewer deviations compared to when they walked barefoot. Adults with DS had a faster gait speed when walking in supportive shoes compared to both walking in unsupportive shoes and barefoot.