Science question about control and variable?

A man planned a 1- mile hike on a trail testing footwear. he hiked once barefoot and rated it as the maximum soreness level. he tested the different types of shoes and rated it compared to being barefoot





was the barefoot hike a control or variable? Why?|||His barefeet were the control. This is because the expieriment is about find the most comfortible shoes for hiking and if hes not wearing any than he cannot rate the shoes. Its basically like this, the control means that there would be no change and that it setting a basline for the overall expierimnet. the shoes them selves would be the variable because those are the things being change throughout the expieriment.|||The barefoot hike was the control since all others were being tested against it as a percentage better or less worse.





A better trial would have used one good shoe on the right foot and the test shoe on the left foot for the first half of the journey and then swithc the good shoe (its pair) on the left foot and the test shoe on the right. It is easier to compare the comfort or discomfort levels that way.





The variable in your question is the degree of comfort or discomfort from the shoes.