To use the shoe spring attachment, the patient will be required to wear them on both feet while having their shoes on. The fasteners can be fully opened to allow easy insertion of the foot. The patient can then walk after the fasteners are properly closed.

The mechanism will utilise a metallic spring due to the high loading conditions on the foot, up to 1.5 times the body weight, present during walking or running (Nilsson & Thorstensson, 1989). The spring will provide sufficient mechanical energy absorption on spring compression of the forces generated during heel strike.

Use of foam for the body and sole of the mechanism will provide comfort and long term use due to the materials’ flexibility and durability (Ates et al, 2022). The material will also provide sufficient friction to enhance the adherence of the patient’s shoe to the shoe spring attachment and its grip to the walking surface.

The fasteners’ purpose is to ensure support and adherence of the foot to the mechanism, and the buckle mechanism will allow interfacing with different shoe types and sizes providing greater compatibility with existing footwear.

References
1.      Nilsson, J., & Thorstensson, A. (1989). Ground reaction forces at different speeds of human walking and running. Acta physiologica Scandinavica, 136(2), 217–227. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1748-1716.1989.tb08655.x
2.      Ates, M., Karadag, S., Eker, A.A. and Eker, B. (2022), Polyurethane foam materials and their industrial applications. Polym Int, 71: 1157-1163. https://doi.org/10.1002/pi.6441