An interventional study of Medial Arch-Support Wrestling Shoe and Standard Wrestling Shoe in Pes Planus, Flatfoot and Foot Deformities, sponsored by Inonu University. Completed at 1 site in Turkey (Türkiye). Open to male participants aged 11 Years to 11 Years, including healthy volunteers. Per ClinicalTrials.gov, last updated 2026-06-08.
Sponsored by Inonu University · Not applicable, Interventional, and Prevention
This three-year randomized controlled trial investigated whether wrestling shoes with built-in medial arch support can preserve foot arch structure in adolescent male wrestlers compared to standard wrestling shoes without arch support.
A total of 88 adolescent male wrestlers (age 11 at baseline) were randomly assigned to wear either modified wrestling shoes with integrated medial arch support (intervention group, n=44) or standard commercially available wrestling shoes (control group, n=44). Foot posture was assessed annually using the Staheli Arch Index via podoscopy. Plantar pressure distribution was recorded using the Tekscan F-Scan system. The study followed participants for three years.
The primary aim was to determine whether medial arch-support wrestling shoes reduce the emergence of flat foot (pes planus) compared with standard wrestling shoes during a critical period of foot development in young athletes.
173 studies on the registry are indexed under Flatfoot; 44 are open to participants now.
This study's enrollment of 88 is above the median of 40 across 122 interventional studies indexed under Flatfoot.
Browse Flatfoot studies →Inonu University is the lead sponsor of 394 studies on the registry; 95 are open to participants now.
Counted across the registry records on this site, refreshed daily.
Go through the criteria one by one — yes, no or not sure — and take the list to your doctor or the study team. Kept in this browser only.
Exclusion Criteria:
Participants wore modified wrestling shoes with integrated medial arch support, multi-density rubber outsole, reinforced heel stabilization, structured midfoot midsole, and optimized plantar contact geometry for three years during all wrestling training sessions. Shoe sizes were monitored and replaced as needed.
Device: Medial Arch-Support Wrestling Shoe
Participants wore standard commercially available wrestling shoes featuring a flat thin rubber outsole, no cushioning midsole, no arch support, near-zero heel drop, and a high collar for three years during all wrestling training sessions. Shoe sizes were monitored and replaced as needed.
Device: Standard Wrestling Shoe
Modified wrestling shoe incorporating a multi-density rubber outsole, integrated medial longitudinal arch support, reinforced heel stabilization with hidden heel pads, structured midfoot midsole, four-way stretch Scuba fabric upper, and adhesive Velcro tape closure system. Designed to redistribute plantar pressure and preserve medial longitudinal arch structure during wrestling training.
Conventional commercially available wrestling shoe featuring a thin flat rubber outsole, hard insole without arch support, tight lacing system, high collar, and rigid non-flexible plastic base. No medial arch support or plantar load redistribution features.
Foot Posture Classification (Staheli Arch Index)
Foot posture was classified annually using the Staheli Arch Index (SAI) assessed via podoscopy. Classifications: normal (SAI 0.45-0.89), flexible pes planus (SAI 0.90-1.00), and rigid pes planus (SAI ≥1.01, confirmed by Jack Toe Raise Test). Between-group differences were evaluated using Fisher's exact test with Bonferroni correction.
Time frame: Baseline, Year 1, Year 2, Year 3
Plantar Pressure Distribution
Dynamic plantar pressure distribution was recorded using the Tekscan F-Scan system (3000E sensors, 100 Hz) during 30-second walking trials on a UWW-approved mat. Pressure maps were evaluated qualitatively for midfoot contact area and center of pressure trajectory.
Time frame: Year 3
Standing Height
Standing height (cm) was measured using a calibrated stadiometer at each assessment point. Between-group differences were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA (group × time).
Time frame: Baseline, Year 1, Year 2
Body Mass
Body mass (kg) was measured using a calibrated scale at each assessment point. Between-group differences were analyzed using mixed-design ANOVA (group × time).
Time frame: Baseline, Year 1, Year 2
Plan to share: No
No publications or documents are linked to this record.
This study is completed, as verified in May 2026. You cannot join it, but the record below documents what was studied.
Get an email when the registry record changes — status, dates, results — or when someone posts here.
Sign in to followQuestions and observations about this study, from anyone following it. Not medical advice, and not a channel to the study team — their contact details are on the registry record.
Sign in to join the discussion. Reading takes no account; posting does. You choose a display name, and a pseudonym is the default.
Nothing here yet. If you are running this trial, taking part in it, or weighing whether to, this is the place to say so.