Abstract: This work conducted a systematic review of the effect of unstable shoes on gait parameters, kinematics, kinetics, and electromyography (EMG) activity by analyzing the relevant literature. The primary objective of this study was to offer guidance and recommendations on shoe selection for the public. A keyword search was conducted to retrieve 424 papers from Chinese and English databases, including PubMed and CNKI over the past decade. Ultimately, 14 papers were enrolled for analysis. The study revealed that wearing unstable shoes could result in a decrease in double support time and an increase in swing phase time compared to ordinary shoes. Additionally, unstable shoes significantly improved the contact area and peak pressure of the midfoot region while decreasing the peak pressure in the forefoot and heel regions to varying degrees. The long-term use of unstable shoes could increase lower limb muscle activity and enhance the activation degree of specific muscles such as the tibialis anterior, gastrocnemius, biceps femoris, and rectus femoris. Thus, it is recommended to gradually increase the wearing time of unstable shoes, especially for beginners, while paying attention to the duration and frequency of use to reduce the risk of injury.

Key words: unstable footwear, lower limb biomechanics, kinematics, kinetics, muscle activity