Background: Below-ankle hiking shoes have grown in popularity, raising debate over whether traditional
above-ankle boots or lower-cut shoes provide better ankle support and post-hike stability. Falls are a
leading cause of hiking injuries, and little research has examined whether footwear type affects balance
after strenuous hikes, creating uncertainty for hikers and footwear designers. This study aims to provide
preliminary data on how different hiking footwear affects post-hike static stability.
Methods: A crosssectional observational study of 29 adults (18–44 years) immediately after summiting Mt. Bierstadt (14,000 ft) in Colorado. Participants completed a Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) assessment within 15 minutes of descent and reported demographics, footwear type, and annual hiking mileage. Hikers were grouped by self-selected footwear ankle height. One-way ANOVA compared total BESS scores across age, footwear type, and annual mileage (α = 0.05).
Results: No significant differences were observed between BESS scores and age (F = 2.02, P = 0.35), footwear ankle height (F = 0.27, P = 0.77), or annual hiking distance (F = 0.49, P = 0.62). Age showed the greatest between-group variation but was not statistically significant.
Discussion: Footwear type, age, and hiking experience did not significantly impact post-hike balance. Lack of significance may reflect small sample size, fatigue, terrain, or environmental factors. Future studies should test a larger sample of participants multiple times in different footwear types to better isolate the effect of shoe design on balance. Controlled pre- and post-hike testing would also reduce environmental and fatigue-related confounding. Additionally, other balance and stability assessments beyond BESS could be incorporated to capture a more complete picture of postural control.
Methods: A crosssectional observational study of 29 adults (18–44 years) immediately after summiting Mt. Bierstadt (14,000 ft) in Colorado. Participants completed a Balance Error Scoring System (BESS) assessment within 15 minutes of descent and reported demographics, footwear type, and annual hiking mileage. Hikers were grouped by self-selected footwear ankle height. One-way ANOVA compared total BESS scores across age, footwear type, and annual mileage (α = 0.05).
Results: No significant differences were observed between BESS scores and age (F = 2.02, P = 0.35), footwear ankle height (F = 0.27, P = 0.77), or annual hiking distance (F = 0.49, P = 0.62). Age showed the greatest between-group variation but was not statistically significant.
Discussion: Footwear type, age, and hiking experience did not significantly impact post-hike balance. Lack of significance may reflect small sample size, fatigue, terrain, or environmental factors. Future studies should test a larger sample of participants multiple times in different footwear types to better isolate the effect of shoe design on balance. Controlled pre- and post-hike testing would also reduce environmental and fatigue-related confounding. Additionally, other balance and stability assessments beyond BESS could be incorporated to capture a more complete picture of postural control.