EFFECTS OF BASKETBALL SHOE ON IMPACT FORCES AND SOFT TISSUE VIBRATIONS DURING DROP JUMP AND UNEXPECTED DROP LANDING

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of footwear on impact forces and soft tissue vibrations during drop jump and unexpected drop landings. Twelve male basketball players were instructed to wear two types of shoes to execute double-leg landings in each of 6 testing conditions, i.e. 2 landing styles × 3 landing heights, from a customized platform. Joint kinematics, ground reaction force, and soft tissue vibrations of the leg were collected simultaneously. The results indicated that a shoe intervention did not influence the characteristics of the impact force and soft tissue vibrations during active drop jumps. Contrarily, for the unexpected drop landings, the basketball shoe with strong cushioning properties can substantially reduced the peak impact forces as well as decreased the impact frequency and minimized the peak transmissibility.