The Acute Effect Of Minimalist Footwear On Spatiotemporal Gait Parameters In Autistic Children

Barefoot and shod, autistic children often demonstrate gait patterns distinct from their neurotypical peers, characterised by slower speed, longer gait cycles, increased stance and step times, and greater intra-individual variability in stride length. While research suggests that barefoot and minimalist footwear can support healthy foot and movement development in neurotypical children, their effects on autistic children remain underexplored. PURPOSE: To evaluate the acute effects of minimalist footwear, compared to barefoot and conventional footwear, on temporospatial gait parameters in autistic children. METHODS: A group of 21 autistic children (8.9 ± 1.5 years) and a control group of 18 neurotypical children (7.6 ± 2 years) were recruited. The stride length, step time, gait cycle duration, speed, and stance time were measured across barefoot, minimalist, and conventional sports footwear conditions using the Optojump Next. Group and condition comparisons were analysed using two-way mixed ANOVA. RESULTS: No statistically significant differences in spatiotemporal parameters were found between the groups in each footwear condition. In the autistic group, stride increased by 7% (p = .021) in minimalist and by 11% (p < .001) in conventional footwear vs. barefoot. Neurotypical children showed a 9% (p = .004) stride increase in minimalist and an 11% (p < .001) increase in conventional footwear. In the autistic group, step time increased by 7% (p < .001) in minimalist and 6% (p = .008) in conventional footwear vs. barefoot, while gait cycle duration increased by 5% (p = .026) and 4% (p = .057), respectively. In neurotypical children, step time increased by 9% (p < .001) in minimalist footwear and 7% (p = .003) in conventional shoes vs. barefoot, whereas the gait cycle increased by 9% (p < .001) in minimalist and 8% (p = .001) in conventional footwear. Speed and stance time did not significantly differ across conditions. CONCLUSION: The acute effects of minimalist footwear on gait in autistic children are similar to those in neurotypical children, with both showing longer strides and slower step times in shod conditions compared to barefoot. These findings suggest that footwear type affects gait in both groups, but further research is needed to understand the long-term effects of minimalist footwear on autistic children. Supported by: Vivo Barefoot