Tests sports shoes and walking distance in people with COPD
Compares active sports shoes with usual shoes in adults with COPD during a walk test.
Plain-language title generated from the registry record
Registry title: Sports Shoes and the Six-Minute Walk Test in COPD
Key facts
- Where
- Paris, FranceSee the site
Where in France
- Pitié Salpêtrière Hospital - Department of pneumologyParis, FranceNo longer taking part
Questions to ask the study team
- How often do I need to come in, and for how long each time?
- Are travel costs paid?
- Can I keep my own doctor?
- What happens if I want to stop?
Trial details
- Who runs it
- Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris
- Trial code
- NCT07445750
- Record updated
- 3 March 2026
- Original description
COPD: A Leading Cause of Respiratory Disability COPD, primarily linked to smoking, affects 3.5 million people in France and causes 15,000 deaths each year. It is a major source of disability, particularly due to dyspnoea, which affects one in three patients. Around 400,000 patients are registered under long-term conditions (ALD), and 200,000 receive home-based respiratory support. The most severe cases fall under the category of chronic respiratory failure-a term also applicable to other respiratory or neuromuscular diseases.Read full original descriptionShow less
Impact of High Biomechanical Efficiency Footwear on Six-Minute Walk Test Performance in Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): A Randomised Cross-Over Controlled Trial
COPD: A Leading Cause of Respiratory Disability COPD, primarily linked to smoking, affects 3.5 million people in France and causes 15,000 deaths each year. It is a major source of disability, particularly due to dyspnoea, which affects one in three patients. Around 400,000 patients are registered under long-term conditions (ALD), and 200,000 receive home-based respiratory support. The most severe cases fall under the category of chronic respiratory failure-a term also applicable to other respiratory or neuromuscular diseases.
Walking Exposes Physical Limitations In patients with respiratory failure, walking rapidly induces disabling dyspnoea, as it may represent their maximal effort. This severely limits autonomy and quality of life. To improve exercise tolerance, clinicians rely on pulmonary rehabilitation (exercise reconditioning, bronchodilators, oxygen therapy). When these measures are insufficient, mobility aids such as scooters or electric scooters may help, although they have limitations (cost, bulkiness, muscular deconditioning).
The Six-Minute Walk Test (6MWT): A Key Tool The 6MWT is a standardised test that assesses walking distance, dyspnoea, heart rate, and oxygenation. It is used to evaluate the severity and prognosis of respiratory failure and to measure response to treatment. It is integrated into prognostic indices and criteria for assessing the effectiveness of rehabilitation. The only non-standardised parameter remains the type of footwear worn.
Research Hypothesis Some so-called "active" sports shoes enhance walking by design-through cushioning, rocker soles, and rigid inserts-which store and return impact energy to assist propulsion. We hypothesise that wearing such shoes could improve walking performance in COPD patients, as reflected by a greater distance on the 6MWT. If confirmed, this simple and low-cost solution could meaningfully improve the daily lives of many patients.
Inclusion: Age 18 or older; Diagnosed with COPD according to standard criteria; Severe to very severe airflow obstruction (FEV₁ < 50% predicted, within 12 months); Dyspnoea grade 3 or 4 on the mMRC scale; Currently hospitalised in the respiratory rehabilitation unit; Clinical indication for six-minute walk test; Provided written informed consent; Non inlcusion Criteria:; Any respiratory condition other than COPD; Neurological, neuromuscular, orthopaedic or rheumatological conditions affecting gait or balance; Uncorrected visual or hearing impairment; Cognitive or psychiatric disorders interfering with instructions; Contraindications to exercise testing (e.g. unstable angina, recent myocardial infarction, severe uncontrolled hypertension, resting HR >120 bpm); Pregnancy or breastfeeding; Inability to understand French; No health insurance coverage; Under legal protection (e.g. guardianship); Participation in another interventional or randomised clinical trial; Habitual use of active sports shoes.