Measuring Foot Pressure in Pointe Shoes of Ballet Dancers Using a Modified Foot Pressure Sensor: A Brief Study

Abstract

Introduction: The mechanism of foot injury in ballet dancers can be understood by measuring the forces exerted on the foot in pointe shoes. In this study, we aimed to reveal the vertical forces applied to the toes in a pointe shoe during ballet movements in a time series using a modified foot pressure sensor. Methods: Three dancers wore their pointe shoes equipped with sensors to replace their usual toe pads. They performed 2 tasks: (1) holding a pointe posture on the right leg for 5 seconds and (2) jumping 5 times on the right leg while on pointe, on a force platform. Their movements were captured using a 10-camera motion-capture system synchronized with the force platform and pressure sensor. Results: The force data for the bottom of the toe box, calculated by multiplying the pressure by the area, showed a correlation with the vertical ground reaction force measured using the force platform. Our results revealed that, during the jumping task, the highest forces were applied to the toe box, whereas in the standing task, the metatarsal area experienced greater forces than the toe box did. Significant individual variability was observed in other areas. Conclusion: This study demonstrates that the modified sensor effectively captures pressure variations with different movements, offering valuable insights for injury prevention and optimizing ballet techniques.