Footwear effects on balance and gait in elderly women of Indian population between the ages 55 and 75 years

To determine effects of different footwear and barefoot condition on measurement tools like FRT, TUG and TMW in elderly women of Indian population.

Sixty women, aged 55 to 75 years.

Each subject performedthe Functional Reach Test (FRT), Timed Up and Go (TUG) and Ten Metre Walk (TMW) while wearing walking shoes, heel shoes, and barefooted. One-way repeatedmeasuresanalysis of variance (ANOVAs) and a Tukey Honestly Significant Difference test were used to compare the outcomes for the 3 footwear conditions.

Subjects performed better in the FRT when barefooted or wearing walking shoes compared with when they wore heel shoes. For TUG and TMW, the women were slowest wearing heel shoes, with no significant differences in walk shoes and barefoot.

For administration of measurement tools like FRT, TUG and TMW in clinical settings and for research purposes, footwear should be consistently standardised from one patient or subject to another or from one facility to another. Moreover, balance and gait in elderly women can be improved through correct footwear recommendation.