iStride developer, Kyle Reed, demonstrates a prototype of the device. Source: University of Southern Florida A shoe designed by researchers at the University of Southern Florida to assist with stroke recovery has been successfully trialed and will be available on the market later this year, according to reports.

Stroke patients are often left with muscle weakness and partial paralysis on the left or right half of his or her body, creating a perilous walking gait.

To correct impaired gait, the iStride shoe is fitted over the regular shoe of the patient’s unimpaired leg. When stepped on, it creates a slight backward motion, which exaggerates the step and makes walking difficult.

According to the researchers, this strengthens the wearer’s stroke-affected leg, improving gait proportionality once the shoe is taken off.

"The backward motion of the shoe is generated passively by redirecting the wearer's downward force during stance phase. Since the motion is generated by the wearer's force, the person is in control, which allows easier adaptation to the motion," said developer Kyle Reed, Ph.D., associate professor of mechanical engineering at the University of South Florida.

"Unlike many of the existing gait rehabilitation devices, this device is passive, portable, wearable and does not require any external energy."

To trial the device, six stroke patients with walking difficulty participated in 12 30-minute gait training sessions for one month, each while outfitted with iStride. All participants reported improved gait symmetry and speed, including improvements in standing and walking from a seated position and walking time to specific destinations.

The article detailing the study, titled Relearning functional and symmetric walking after stroke using a wearable device: a feasibility study, appears in the Journal of NeuroEngineering and Rehabilitation.