Comparison of test methods to quantify shock attenuating properties of athletic footwear

The purpose of the presented study was to compare the results of ASTM F 1614 Procedure A, Procedure B and the HIT method to quantify the shock attenuating properties of 29 commercially available running shoes. The performed tests revealed a different behavior of the three procedures regarding loading time (ASTM-A: material depending, ; ASTM-B: 20 ms; HIT: 35 ms) and peak force (ASTM-A: material depending, ; ASTM-B: material depending, ; HIT: 1500 N). Because of viscoelastic material behavior those test methods resulted in different ratings regarding the shock absorbing abilities of the investigated samples.