Innovative footwear for people experiencing foot drop
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Innovative footwear for people experiencing foot drop; a feasibility study
IRAS ID
354003
Contact name
Marietta van der Linden
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Margaret University
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
People with foot drop have an increased risk of tripping and falling, and this makes walking more difficult. The Health Design Collective (HDC) have developed a shoe that aims to make it easier for people with foot drop to walk. People have tested an early prototype of the shoe and they have told us that it makes their walking easier, but that it is also comfortable and unobtrusive. We need more scientific evidence that this shoe reduces foot drop and improves walking. The purpose of this small study (only 15 participants) is to lay the foundations to develop and to carry out a bigger study. In this study participants will be asked to wear the footwear so that we can test how it impacts their walking. Participants will come to the gait lab at Queen Margaret University, Musselburgh and they will be asked to complete various questionnaires, keep a diary of any trips and falls, and also to wear an activity monitor. Participants can withdraw from the study at any time without having to give a reason.
REC name
North of Scotland Research Ethics Committee 1
REC reference
25/NS/0041
Date of REC Opinion
28 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion