News by Levels · Level 2 · Student worksheet

Researchers Test Socks That Make Feet Stiffer

Name: __________________________ Date: __________________

Read the story

Researchers at the University of Texas at Austin have tested special socks designed to make walking less tiring. Tight knitted bands around the front of the foot limit how much it spreads while a person walks.

Twelve healthy young adults walked on a treadmill in the special socks and in ordinary socks. The researchers measured their breathing to estimate the energy they used. On average, walking in the special socks used about 2% less energy.

Ten of the 12 people used less energy in the new design. The experiment was small, so its results cannot establish how well the socks would work for everyone.

Source: Phys.org, 2026-11-04. https://phys.org/news/2026-11-foot-stiffening-socks.html

Read and practise

1. What did researchers use participants’ breathing to estimate?

   1. How far they could jump
   2. How warm their feet were
   3. How much energy they used

2. Why can the result not establish that the socks work for everyone?

   1. No one wore the special socks.
   2. Only a small group was tested.
   3. The test did not involve walking.

Your turn

What did the 12 volunteers compare, and how many used less energy with the new socks?

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Read online: https://newsbylevels.com/news/foot-stiffening-socks-walking-energy-study-november-2026/level-2/