College of Graduate Studies: Theses & Dissertations

Term of Award

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science in Kinesiology (M.S.)

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Health and Kinesiology

Committee Chair

Li Li

Committee Member 1

Barry Joyner

Committee Member 2

Nicholas Siekirk

Abstract

This study investigated the independent and interactive effects of stack height (SH) and heel width (HW) on lower-extremity biomechanics during running. Specifically, the study examined how variations in midsole geometry influenced spatiotemporal parameters, knee joint kinetics, and ground reaction forces (GRF). Twelve recreational runners (8 males, 4 females) completed treadmill running trials at 16 km/h under nine shoe conditions that systematically varied in SH (25, 45, and 65 mm) and HW (81, 93, and 105 mm). Lower-extremity kinematics were collected using a Theia3D markerless motion capture system, and GRF data were recorded using an instrumented treadmill. A two-way repeated-measures ANOVA was performed to examine the main and interaction effects of SH and HW on spatiotemporal variables, knee joint kinetics, and GRF characteristics during the first 50% of stance. Significant SH × HW interactions were observed for stride duration, stride frequency, percentage of stance phase, and maximum knee extension moment. Peak knee power absorption was significantly affected by both SH and HW, with the intermediate SH condition (45 mm) producing greater knee power absorption than the 25- and 65-mm conditions, and wider heel configurations producing greater knee power absorption than the narrowest heel condition. Minimum anterior–posterior GRF showed significant main effects of both SH and HW. In contrast, the vertical GRF impact peak was influenced only by SH, with the 65-mm condition producing the greatest impact peak. Our observations indicate that SH and HW should not be considered in isolation, as their combined configuration influences stride regulation and knee joint loading during running. In addition, SH played a more dominant role in determining GRF characteristics, particularly vertical impact loading. These results suggest that midsole geometry can meaningfully alter running biomechanics, and that optimizing running shoe design may require balancing vertical cushioning and heel base geometry to better manage lower-extremity loading.

Research Data and Supplementary Material

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