The effect of SAS shoes on standing fatigue in light fabrication workers

Abstract

A field study was conducted on light fabrication workers who worked 12-hour shifts to determine the effect of a high quality shoe, such as a SAS shoe, on standing fatigue. Nine participants (five male, four female) were utilized for statistical analysis. The study lasted two months with SAS shoes worn for one month, and the participant's own shoes worn for the other month. Data were collected at the end of the 12-hour shift after the completion of each test period. Physiological and subjective measures were taken before and after the shift. Psychosocial measures (Work APGAR and WES-R) were also taken. Physiological measures included: foot temperature, leg volume, foot volume, spinal area, spinal length, stature, flexibility, and heart rate. Subjective measures included a body part discomfort survey and the SAS shoe evaluation. First, the measures were tested to determine if changes over the work shift occurred. Total, I I of 14 total physiological measurements indicated a significant change over the day. Next, the SAS shoes were compared to the participant's normal working shoes. Results showed significant differences (p < 0.05) for spinal length and flexibility. Participants' spinal column shortened less when wearing SAS shoes and became more flexible when wearing SAS shoes. Significant statistical differences (p < 0.05) were also found in body part discomfort with the lower legs and feet showing significantly less increase in discomfort when participants wore the SAS shoes over the course of shift. The SAS shoe evaluation rated seven different qualities of the shoes: arch support, compression of sole, toe room, heel support, walking comfort, standing comfort, and overall fit. The SAS shoe was found to be at least average on all categories except heel support and walking comfort, where the SAS shoe was slightly below average. Ten out of the 17 participants complained of heel discomfort, and eight chose not to wear SAS shoes for the entire month. Twelve of the 17 participants preferred their own shoes to the SAS shoes. Many of these non-normally wore high quality athletic shoes. Future studies should investigate a variety of high quality shoes that individuals pick for comfort.