Among all the things that I learned during my sports medicine
fellowship at the Barry University School of Podiatric Medicine,
I became fascinated by one particular phenomenon. There seems to
be a relationship between foot type and specific sporting
events. After close observation and an ongoing study, I have
noticed that athletes with tibia varum, cavus foot type and,
sometimes, an in-toe gait tend to excel in sporting events that
primarily involve quickness in acceleration, stop and go
maneuvers, and cutting. Researchers have made correlations
between foot type and specific athletic abilities in the past.
Orendurff, et al., compared plantar pressure in straight
running, accelerating, jumping and cutting maneuvers.1 They
concluded that plantar pressure in straight running is less than
that in accelerating, jumping and cutting maneuvers. While the
purpose of this study was to determine shoe gear cushioning
requirements, the study shows there is more stress on the foot
during acceleration and cutting maneuvers