Effectiveness of a Central Discharge Element Sock for Plantar Temperature Reduction and Improving Comfort

Alfonso Martínez-Nova, Víctor Manuel Jiménez-Cano, Juan Miguel Caracuel-López, Beatriz Gómez-Martín, Elena Escamilla-Martínez, Raquel Sánchez-Rodríguez, Alfonso Martínez-Nova, Víctor Manuel Jiménez-Cano, Juan Miguel Caracuel-López, Beatriz Gómez-Martín, Elena Escamilla-Martínez, Raquel Sánchez-Rodríguez

Abstract

U-shaped plantar cushions could help reduce stress affecting the central forefoot without the need for an orthosis, but they are yet to be integrated as an element in socks. The objective of this study was to verify the effectiveness of a sock with a central discharge element in terms of plantar temperature and comfort. The sample comprised 38 subjects (13 men and 25 women). Their plantar temperatures were measured with a thermographic camera in a basal situation and after each of two 10-minute walks around an indoor circuit during which they wore either control or experimental socks at random (the same design, weight, and fiber, but with the plantar cushioning element added). After the walks, each subject responded to a comfort questionnaire (five-point Likert scale), blindly scoring the two socks. The highest temperatures (28.3 ± 2.7 °C) were recorded in the zone of the second and third metatarsal heads. With the experimental socks, the observed temperature increase in the central forefoot zone was significantly less than with the control socks (31.6 vs. 30.6 °C, p = 0.001). The subjects found the experimental socks to be more comfortable than the controls (4.63 ± 0.5 vs. 4.03 ± 0.5, p < 0.001). The discharge element included in the experimental socks was effective since it reduced the contact zones and excess friction with the ground, thereby lessening overheating by more than 1 °C. Furthermore, the experimental socks were perceived as being more comfortable by the subjects who had mild and occasional foot discomfort.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov NCT04697914.

Keywords: comfort; foot; foot posture; health; skin care; socks.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest. The company MLS Textiles 1992, manufacturer of the LURBEL socks, has selflessly manufactured and loaned the experimental socks to the authors. We deeply appreciate this support and the spirit of research, development and innovation shown by the company. There is no economic link between the company and any of the authors of the study.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Detail of the two socks, control (left) and experimental (right).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Metatarsal cushioning of the experimental sock.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Thermographic image. Detail of the black background (top, right), with the anatomical zones analyzed. The software yields the upper, lower, and mean temperatures for each zone.

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