Toe Walking Textured Insole Study at SALHN



Does your child walk on their tip toes? Could they do with new sneakers?

Toe walking textured insole study

Your child is invited to be part of an important study to help kids who walk on their tip toes. We want to see if using shoes (Asics Contend) with or without textured insoles can make a difference. We also want to check if our study plan works well before involving more children.

You may be eligible to participate if your child

  • is aged between 4-14 years
  • toe walks for no known reason or for sensory reasons (including Autism Spectrum Disorder).
  • can communicate with researchers and follow simple instructions such as walking in a gait laboratory and standing still for 30 seconds
  • can wear standard footwear (Asics)

They are not eligible if they have

  • received treatment for their lower limb in the past 3 months (exercises, serial casting, orthotics, gait plates)
  • had surgery for toe walking
  • received Botulim Type A treatment in their lower limbs
  • been diagnosed with any condition or concern that might alter the way they walk

What do you need to do?

  • attend Flinders Medical Centre for 3 sessions (approximately 1.5 hours each) spread out over 4 months
  • complete a series of standing, balance and walking tests
  • wear the provided footwear where possible, keeping a diary of use and comfort
  • parents will also be asked to have a 10 minute telephone interview with a therapist at the end of the study
  • speak with a researcher about the shoes and insoles

(*Children who haven’t been assessed for toe walking may need an extra session)

Can we keep the shoes and insoles?

You can! As a thank you for your time, you’ll also receive a $25 gift voucher half way through and another at the end of the study.

How to apply

Your child is invited to be part of an important study to help kids who walk on their tip toes.

For further information and to apply, please complete the Toe Walking Clinical Study Participant Information and Consent Form (PDF 253KB).

Alternatively, you can complete the Toe Walking Clinical Study Online Form and the Lead Investigator will be in touch with you.

For more information

Email the Lead Investigator, Nicole Marshall on Nicole.Marshall@sa.gov.au or phone 0447 396 955.

This study has been approved by the Women’s and Children’s Human Research Ethics Committee (Approval Number: HRE00108).

Thank you to Flinders Foundation and The Hospital Research Foundation Group for their generous support of this research study.