An Exploration of Soccer Cleat Traction Characteristics Suited to the Mechanical Profile of the Female Athlete
Loading...
Date
2025-02-24
Authors
Karolidis, Emily
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
University of Oregon
Abstract
Market-available soccer footwear is historically designed according to male athlete mechanics. With known sex differences in movement patterns, joint moments, and joint loading, it should not be assumed that the female body is able to withstand the same amount of rotational and translational traction as do males. Soccer cleats could play a key role in moderating female athletes’ exposure to torsional injury mechanisms over the course of game play, such as those mechanisms related to ACL injury. The purpose of this dissertation was to understand the effect of soccer cleat traction parameters on the cutting and landing mechanics of female soccer athletes. Based upon results gathered in this dissertation, novel prototypes of data-driven female traction plates were co-developed and mechanically validated in partnership with Puma SE. This dissertation includes four projects: the first three were foundational in understanding the effects of traction parameters on female mechanics, while the final project involved the design and validation of prototypes informed by these findings. Project 1 assessed the effect of shortened stud lengths on knee stabilizer muscle activity and mechanics of seven female soccer players during abrupt stopping and cutting tasks in a turfed motion capture lab. Results indicate a stud length reduction to 50-75% of the original stud length trends towards an improvement in frontal and sagittal plane knee kinetics and kinematics, and knee stabilizer muscle activity favoring the hamstring group. Project 2 involved 10 male and 10 female soccer athletes performing unanticipated cutting tasks before and after systemic fatigue in cleats of both elliptical and bladed stud shapes. Knee kinetics, kinematics and utilized traction ratio were evaluated. Significant three-way interaction effects were found on the rate of utilized traction during initial contact, and main effects of sex and fatigue were found on knee valgus angle and knee flexion angle at initial contact, respectively. Project 3 assessed plantar pressure data collected during cuts performed during the systemic fatigue protocol of Project 2. Significant main and interaction effects of sex, cleat and fatigue were found on peak pressure across the anterior heel, medial forefoot, and lateral toes. Systemic fatigue progression was found to increase mediolateral center of pressure excursion and posterolateral peak pressure most notably among female participants in the bladed cleat. Based on results identified in Projects 1-3, Project 4 designed and mechanically validated cleat prototype iterations that would encourage lower risk knee mechanics for the female athlete. In this small sample validation, the cutting mechanics of 6 female athletes were compared before and after fatigue across two prototypes and one market available soccer cleat. Preliminary data identify lower risk knee mechanics to be encouraged in the prototypes when compared to the market available product. Joint power trends suggest the moderate prototype design, featuring a 12-25% reduction in stud length and elliptical-style studs, to reduce eccentric knee activity most effectively during cutting stance. The results of this dissertation illustrate how relatively minor modifications to traction parameters can have critical impact on the mechanics of female athletes. This series of studies demonstrates the importance of designing and validating footwear for the female athlete. This dissertation includes co-authored material submitted for publication, as well as unpublished co-authored material.
Description
Keywords
ACL, Cutting Mechanics, Fatigue, Female Athlete, Soccer Cleat, Traction