If you suffer from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, the shoes you wear can put you at increased risk of both injury and disease progression. According to a study presented during a September 2007 meeting of the American College of Rheumatology, researchers examined the effects of different types of footwear on 13 women and three men with OA. Participants were evaluated on [IMGCAP(1)]the way they walked while barefoot and while wearing a clog, a "stability" shoe (designed to limit foot mobility), a flexible walking shoe, and flip-flop sandals. Participants were then monitored during normal walking to determine the load each type of footwear placed upon their knees. It was found that clogs and stability shoes caused significantly higher loading of the knees, while walking shoes and flip-flops resulted in lower loading (similar to that when walking barefoot), thereby allowing a more natural foot motion that was determined to be beneficial in slowing the progression of knee OA.
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