Original Article

Ergonomic Evaluation of Barefoot Shoes during Prolonged Standing: A Combined Objective and Subjective Approach

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to evaluate the ergonomic suitability of barefoot shoes by assessing key usability indicators, including comfort, perceived pain, user satisfaction, and plantar contact pressure during simulated office tasks.
Methods: In this ergonomics field study, eight ergonomists selected their appropriate barefoot shoe size using a sizing scale and wore the shoes for eight hours. Their daily office routine included two hours of movement around the work environment at the start of the workday, followed by six hours of sedentary office and administrative tasks. At the end of each evaluation phase, participants completed questionnaires assessing foot pain, perceived discomfort in the lower limbs, satisfaction, and overall usability. Additionally, plantar contact pressure was measured in one participant (50th percentile) using the Ergo FS16 device across five anatomical regions of the foot.
Results: All participants (100%) reported that the shoe size selected via the sizing scale accurately matched their foot dimensions. Subjective discomfort levels remained minimal, with average scores of ≤1 in the calf and ankle regions at both 2-hour and 8-hour intervals. The heel region showed a slight increase in pain scores, from 1.25 at 2 hours to 2.1 at 8 hours, while all other foot regions reported no pain or discomfort. User satisfaction scores were consistently high, exceeding 7 out of 10 at both evaluation points. Usability assessments indicated that 75% of participants rated the shoes as acceptable, while 25% provided borderline acceptable ratings. Objective contact pressure measurements confirmed that all recorded values across the plantar surface remained below the established pain threshold.
Conclusion: The findings demonstrate that the barefoot shoes evaluated in this study are suitable and highly comfortable for prolonged standing and daily office tasks. The minimal reported discomfort and high user satisfaction scores support their ergonomic efficacy. However, further longitudinal studies are recommended to assess the long-term effects of barefoot shoe use, particularly in relation to musculoskeletal health and occupational performance.

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IssueVol 17 No 2 (2025) QRcode
SectionOriginal Article(s)
Published2025-12-09
Keywords
Barefoot Ergonomics prolonged standing back pain
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Creative Commons License This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
How to Cite
1.
Sheikh F, Hashemi S, Fakheri MH, Ghasemi MS, Farshad AA, Taheri F, Garosi E. Ergonomic Evaluation of Barefoot Shoes during Prolonged Standing: A Combined Objective and Subjective Approach. Int J Occup Hyg. 2025;17(2):116-124.