Background: the main aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between sole pattern parameters of football boots with the frequency of injuries that occur in semiprofessional and amateur footballers. Methods: The study sample was composed of 77 male football players. All were at least 18 years old, played at least 10 h per week, gave signed informed consent to take part and properly completed the Visual Analogue Scale. This study analysed data from each player’s medical history, including age, injuries, years of practice, field type and surface condition information. Results: The visual analogic score in semiprofessional players was higher (2.05 ± 2.43) than in amateur players (1.00 ± 1.1). A total of 141 lesions were collected, equivalent to 1.81 injuries for each football player studied (n = 77). The result of the ROC curve indicated that the player’s years of practice could predict significantly (p < 0.05) the presence of lower limb injuries, with an area under the curve of 0.714. Conclusions: This study described the predictive capacity of sole pattern characteristics concerning lower limb injuries in amateur and semiprofessional footballers. Football boot variables associated with the number of studs were associated with foot and ankle overload injuries.

Background: Handball involves unilateral, high-demand actions that increase injury risk. The Windlass mechanism (WM) is a position-dependent plantar fascia tensioning system, activated by dorsiflexion of the first metatarsophalangeal joint, which increases medial longitudinal arch stiffness and contributes to foot stability. WM activation can be mechanically simulated using hallux wedges to induce controlled dorsiflexion, allowing graded engagement of the mechanism under standardized conditions. The primary aim of this study was to investigate how different wedge inclinations, with and without visual biofeedback, affect foot muscle activity during squats in elite female handball players. Methods: Seventeen elite female handball players performed squats at 65% of one-repetition maximum under six conditions combining three wedge inclinations (0°, 10°, 30°) with the presence or absence of visual biofeedback. Electromyographic activity (RMS and %MVC) of intrinsic and extrinsic foot muscles was recorded. Results: A significant increase in left abductor hallucis activation with the 10° wedge without biofeedback. Visual biofeedback significantly increased RMS and %MVC in intrinsic foot muscles and increased RMS in the left gastrocnemius (p < 0.05). No significant interaction was observed between wedge inclination and biofeedback. Conclusions: Controlled activation of the WM via hallux wedges and the use of visual biofeedback modulate foot muscle activity during squats. These strategies may be considered in training programs aimed at improving foot stability and reducing injury risk in elite female handball players.

The foot’s windlass mechanism (WM), engaged by hallux dorsiflexion, is a key determinant of lower-limb propulsive efficiency in explosive sports. This randomized within-subjects crossover study examined whether forefoot wedges of varying angulation, intended to facilitate the windlass mechanism, with or without real-time visual biofeedback, modify concentric power output during loaded back squats in elite female handball players. Seventeen professional athletes performed 3 × 3 back squats at 65% one-repetition maximum under six randomized conditions: three wedge angles (0°, 10°, and 30°) × biofeedback (present or absent). Peak concentric power (W) was the primary outcome; secondary outcomes included relative peak power (W·kg⁻¹), concentric force (N), and concentric velocity (m·s⁻¹), all recorded using dual force plates. The pre-specified two-way (3 × 2) repeated-measures ANOVA showed no significant main effects of wedge angle or biofeedback and no significant interaction for peak concentric power (all p > 0.05). A complementary exploratory Friedman analysis indicated an overall condition effect (χ² = 14.01, p = 0.016; Kendall’s W = 0.165), with the highest descriptive values observed for the 30° wedge without biofeedback. However, pairwise comparisons did not remain significant after correction and did not isolate an independent wedge effect. Taken together, these findings are exploratory and hypothesis-generating and do not confirm that forefoot wedging acutely enhances power output in this population. Larger, pre-registered trials with direct biomechanical verification of windlass activation and longer-term performance outcomes are needed before specific wedge-based applications can be recommended in elite handball practice.