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CompletedNCT04784598HeelpainUpdated Jan 20, 2023

Insoles Adapted in Flip-flop Sandals in People With Heel Pain

An interventional study of Insoles adapted in flip-flop sandals in Heel Pain Syndrome and Heel, sponsored by Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte. Completed at 1 site in Brazil. Open to participants aged 18 Years to 65 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2023-01-20.

Sponsored by Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte · Not applicable, Interventional, and Treatment

Phase
Not applicable
Study type
Interventional
Enrollment
80
Allocation
Randomized
Ages
18 Years to 65 Years
Sex
All
01

Study summary

Introduction: Persistent hindfoot pains are very common and prevalent complaints in the Brazilian population. One of the treatments recommended for these conditions in the literature is the use of insoles. However, to use this resource it is necessary that the individual wear closed shoes and this is an obstacle to treatment in cities with hot climate. Thinking about an alternative treatment, the customized slippers with the corrective elements of the insoles can be an alternative to increase adherence to this type of treatment. Objective: To compare different types of hindfoot elements in insoles adapted in slippers in individuals with persistent hindfoot pain.

Read the detailed description

Methodology: This is a protocol for a controlled, randomized, blinded clinical trial. Eighty participants with persistent hindfoot pain will be evaluated and randomized into two intervention groups: insoles adapted to flip-flops and flip-flops with sham insole. The evaluations will be carried out at baseline (T0), after six (T6) and twelve weeks (T12) of the use of flip-flops, in addition to the follow-up that will be carried out four weeks after the end of the intervention (T16). The primary outcome will be pain, using the Numerical Pain Scale and the secondary outcomes will be: foot function, using the Foot Function Index questionnaire, functional capacity in walking, using the Six-Minute Walk Test and pain catastrophizing using the Scale. of Pain Catastrophizing. Statistical analysis: Data will be analyzed by T-student, Mann-Whitney and repeated measures ANOVA tests and will be analyzed by intention to treat. Ethics and disclosure: This protocol was approved by the Ethics Committee of UFRN/FACISA (number 4,018,821). The results of the study will be disseminated to participants and submitted to a peer-reviewed journal and scientific meetings.

02

Conditions studied

  • Heel Pain Syndrome
  • Heel
03

In context

Lead sponsor

Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte is the lead sponsor of 84 studies on the registry; 13 are open to participants now.

Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.

04

Who can participate

Ages eligible
18 Years to 65 Years
Sexes eligible
All
Accepts healthy volunteers
Yes

Inclusion criteria

  • Individuals of both sexes, aged 18 to 65 years;
  • Persistent heel pain for at least three months based on self-reported criteria: heel pain accompanying the first steps in the morning, after a period of inactivity, and/or during prolonged weight-bearing;
  • Pain intensity between 3 and 8 points, according to the Numerical Rating Scale (NRS) [22];
  • Individuals who can wear flip-flop sandals for at least four hours per day for 12 weeks.

Exclusion criteria

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Clinical diagnosis of neuropathic pain or neurodegenerative disorders, persistent heel pain due to rheumatic conditions, and previous ankle and foot surgeries;
  • Physical therapy treatment in the last three months;
  • Corticosteroid injection into feet in the last six months;
  • inability to answer study-related questionnaires;
  • Individuals scheduled to travel in the next six months.
05

Study design

Phase
Not applicable
Primary purpose
Treatment
Allocation
Randomized
Intervention model
Parallel assignment
Masking
Triple (Participant, Investigator, Outcomes assessor)
Enrollment
80 participants (actual)

Study arms

  • Experimental
    Experimental group

    Group 1- The intervention group I will receive a customized strip slipper with a 3mm EVA horseshoe piece (Shore A 32). And 2.5mm EVA cover (Shore A 28).

    Other: Insoles adapted in flip-flop sandals

  • Sham comparator
    Sham group

    Group 2- The control group will receive a slipper with a 2.5mm EVA cover (Shore A 32) identical to the one used by the intervention group, but without corrective par

    Other: Insoles adapted in flip-flop sandals

Interventions

  • OtherInsoles adapted in flip-flop sandals

    participants of both groups individually received a pair of customized flip-flop sandals, with or without foot pieces, covered with smooth synthetic leather

06

What researchers measure

Primary outcomes

  1. Change in Numerical pain intensity scale - NPS

    Pain intensity will be evaluated with the 10-point Numerical Pain Rating Scale, where 0 is "pain-free" and 10 is "maximum pain.

    Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks after, 12 weeks after, 16 weeks folow up

Secondary outcomes

  1. Change in Foot function - FFI

    Brazilian version of the Foot Function Index questionnaire.15 This questionnaire aims to evaluate the functionality of the foot and is divided into three subscales, which are pain, difficulty and functional limitation. The outcome of all domains was summed and divided by three to achieve the final result of the questionnairewhich can vary from 0% to 100%, and are proportional to functional impairment of the limb.The higher the percentage, the greater the functional alteration presented by the patient

    Time frame: baseline, 6 weeks after, 12 weeks after, 16 weeks folow up

  2. Change in Functional capacity - 6MWT

    For this test, the participant walked at full speed for 6minutes along a 30-m lane, and the total distance was recorded.

    Time frame: baseline and 12 weeks after

  3. Change in Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS)

    Self-administered questionnaire composed of 13 items in which the individual reports the degree of thought or feeling on a 5-point Likert scale. The instrument has three subscales (hopelessness, magnification, and rumination), and the total score (0 to 52 points) is obtained by summing items. The higher the value, the greater the level of catastrophizing

    Time frame: baseline and 12 weeks after

  4. Expectation for treatment

    The scale assesses the expectations of individuals at the beginning of the study regarding treatment received. The question "Do you think that with flip-flop sandals you will" (1) get very worse, (2) get a little worse, (3) neither improve nor get worse, (4) improve a little, or (5) improve a lot. This scale will be applied only in the first (T0) assessment

    Time frame: baseline

  5. Satisfaction with treatment

    The scale will assess perceptions of the individual on the effects of treatment through the following question: "After using flip-flop sandals with insoles are you feeling" (1) much worse, (2) a little worse, (3) neither better nor worse, (4) a little better, or (5) much better

    Time frame: 16 weeks after

07

Study locations

1 site
  • Marcelo Cardoso de Souza
    Natal, RN 59200-000, Brazil
08

References and documents

Publications

  • Costa ARA, de Almeida Silva HJ, Mendes AAMT, Scattone Silva R, de Almeida Lins CA, de Souza MC. Effects of insoles adapted in flip-flop sandals in people with plantar fasciopathy: a randomized, double-blind clinical, controlled study. Clin Rehabil. 2020 Mar;34(3):334-344. doi: 10.1177/0269215519893104. Epub 2019 Dec 6. PubMed 31808352 ↗
  • Fagundes MG, Teixeira Mendes AAM, Barbosa GM, de Souza MC. Effects of insoles adapted in flip-flop sandals for persistent heel pain: a protocol for a sham-controlled randomised trial. BMJ Open. 2022 Nov 7;12(11):e062523. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2022-062523. PubMed 36343988 ↗

Individual participant data

Plan to share: No — there is not a plan to make individual participant data (IPD) available to other researchers

09

Updates

Tracking since Sep 25, 2026
No changes since tracking began. The registry record was last updated on Jan 20, 2023, before this site started recording changes on Sep 25, 2026. Its history is on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗
10

Registry details

Key details

Study ID
NCT04784598
Lead sponsor
Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte
Responsible party
Marcelo Cardoso de Souza, PT, PhD. (Adjunct Professor, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte) — Principal investigator
First posted
Mar 5, 2021
Start date
May 16, 2022
Primary completion
Oct 1, 2022
Completion
Jan 1, 2023
Last update
Jan 20, 2023

Oversight

Data monitoring committee
Yes
FDA-regulated drug
No
FDA-regulated device
No
View the source record on ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

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