Footwear fit perception with or without attention

Purpose: The overarching aim of this study was to evaluate the role of attention in basketball footwear fit perception.

Experimental protocol: Twenty-nine university basketball players rated footwear fit of correctly fitted basketball shoes and of shoes half a US size smaller and half a US size bigger following three fit perception protocols of increasing complexity (Step-In; Basic Course; Basketball Specific Course). The fit perception protocols were completed both with and without concurrent performance of an attentionally demanding secondary task. Footwear fit was rated by response to both a four-variable scale and a two-variable scale. The experiment protocol was repeated on a second day to test for inter-day reliability. 

Results: The player's sensitivity to differences in shoe size was similar following each fit perception protocol and substantial and almost perfect inter-day reliability was demonstrated (ICC > 0.6). The imposition of a secondary task had no detrimental effect on players' capacity to differentiate shoe size (P > 0.05). Reducing the number of fit judgements resulted in superior shoe size differentiation (P < 0.05).

Conclusion: The findings imply that the availability of attention would be similar across fit perception protocols of different complexity. Moreover, asking players to consider fewer aspects of forefoot shoe fit may result in better and more reliable judgements of shoe fit.