ADVANCED MILITARY FOOTWEAR SYSTEM WITH COMPOSITE ORTHOTIC

摘要

Footwear science has made rapid progress in the last decade and this has led to safer and more efficient footwear for sports and expedition activities. While such topics as energy storage and return have been studied in the athletic footwear area, there is no indication that these concepts have been explored for military footwear, other than in the context of energy harvesting. Also, while the provision of in-shoe foot orthoses (ISFOs) is commonplace in commercial athletic and outdoor footwear, similar devices that could be accommodated in an army boot have not received significant attention. The high rates of lower extremity injuries in the military point to the urgent need to close the footwear performance gap by providing military personnel with footwear and in-boot orthoses that incorporate up-to-date biomechanical knowledge and state-of-the-art materials.rnIn this effort, a multidisciplinary team including the University of Delaware Center for Composite Materials, DIApedia LLC and the University of Washington, developed a novel design of an advanced modular In-Shoe Foot Orthosis (ISFO) and Energy Storage and Return Orthotic (ESRO) device within a new boot container assembly. The innovative boot housing and modular foot orthosis design is aimed at reducing footwear weight and loading rates while improving comfort, flexibility and energy return. This paper presents the various designs considered for the ESRO device including FE simulations and experimental test data that shows significant performance improvements over the current combat boot design. The footwear technology developed as part of this effort can be adapted and utilized by all active military personnel in all divisions who are issued standard military footwear to reduce injuries from overuse and potentially protect at-risk feet with a custom orthosis design.