Subjective evaluation of running footwear depends on country and assessment method: A bi-national study
This study examined 1) the perception of running shoes between China (Beijing) and Singapore, and 2) whether running shoe preference depended on assessment methods. One hundred (n=50 each country) Chinese males subjectively evaluated four shoe models during running using two assessment procedures. Procedure 1 used a Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) to assess five perception variables. Procedure 2 was a ‘Head-to-head’ comparison of two shoes simultaneously (e.g. left foot: A, right foot: B) to decide which model was preferred. VAS scores were consistently higher in Beijing participants (P<.001), indicating a higher degree of liking. Singapore participants used the lower end but a wider range of the 15-cm scale for shoe discrimination. Moderate agreement was seen between the VAS and 'Head-to-head' procedures, with only 14 out of 100 participants matched all 6 pairwise comparisons (median=4 matches). Footwear companies and researchers should be aware that subjective shoe preference may vary with assessment methods.