A new study published in the journal Osteoarthritis & Rheumatism reveals that wearing flat, flexible athletic shoes for knee osteoarthritis patients can significantly reduce knee loading and help knee osteoarthritis patients walk. The research team recruited 16 patients with knee osteoarthritis, and the baseline level was that these participants either wore their own shoes, athletic shoes or went barefoot, and were allowed to wear athletic shoes for six hours a day, six days a week, for the duration of the study. Assessments were performed at weeks 6, 12, and 24, respectively. As a result, after 24 weeks, participants who wore sneakers had an 18% decrease in knee inversion time (KAM) compared to baseline levels. There was no significant difference in KAM between sneakers and barefoot walking. Compared to baseline levels, patients wearing their own shoes and barefoot had an 11% and 10% decrease in KAM, respectively. The study points to the importance of shoe choice in the management of knee osteoarthritis.