The Effects of Terrain Variation on Intrinsic Foot Musculature in Healthy Individuals and Individuals With Plantar Fasciitis

Subjects will walk on a specified University of Florida Natural Area Teaching Laboratory's (NATL) nature trail for approximately 30 minutes, three times per week for 8 weeks while wearing the minimalist shoes provided by the study team. Time, distance, and GPS walking route will be recorded utilizing the MapMyRun smartphone application, which is free to download and easy to use. The study team will assist each subject with downloading the application onto their smartphone and provide a brief training on app use at their pre-trial visit. Subjects will be asked to save each training session within the app to report to the study team upon completion of the 8-week training protocol. Subjects will be instructed to walk at a comfortable pace and to stop if they begin experiencing increased pain or discomfort.

Subjects will walk on hardscapes (e.g. sidewalk, asphalt, track, etc) for approximately 30 minutes, three times per week for 8 weeks while wearing the minimalist shoes provided by the study team. Similarly to the treatment group, subjects will be asked to utilize the MapMyRun smartphone application to record their training sessions. Subjects will be instructed to walk at a comfortable pace and to stop if they begin experiencing increased pain or discomfort.