Rockin' All Over The World, or at Least, Your Feet

A recent off-line communication with a visitor here gave me the opportunity to write up a little help file, as it were, for directing your pedorthist or shoe person on how to build rocker soles specifically for you, as opposed to some generic design, so here goes:


If you also need a lift:

If you are going to a custom shoe maker, ask them to put most of the lift inside the shoe - it makes for a more stable lift. You should also ask them if they understand rocker soles. They may understand them generically, but that is not the same as their being willing to work directly with you on the proper shape for you. This is an important distinction, I cannot stress it enough. You will have to be willing to spend a few hours during the final fitting stage. They need to create the midsole rocker, and leave the final sole off, until you test the shape, and allow them to make modifications until you both get the right shape. Here is what you want to achieve:

A real heel - rocker, that is

Your heel should be able to strike the ground as softly as possible, so the rear rocker angle cannot be too steep, nor too shallow, and should become level no sooner than, nor later than, the center of your heel. The shoemaker/pedorthist needs to see your stride length - this is important. The shorter your stride length, the shorter the length of the rear rocker, and the shallower the angle. By the same token, the longer the stride length, the reverse is mostly true. I say mostly because there are exceptions, especially where the foot has more limited range of motion. If you have had a fusion, the rear rocker shape and length is very critical, because it will actually have to substitute for the motion your fused foot can no longer provide. So - test, test, test, before they put on the final sole. Its shape should allow your foot to essentially "roll" onto the midfoot, with no sensation that your foot is "slapping" The idea is to reduce both shock and foot slap, that sudden motion right after the heel touches the ground, and then pitches the rest of the foot forward. The correct shape will also reduce stress on the knee.In the case of a fusion, it should also reduce that motion from point of contact all the way to full foot loading. That is, when the foot is fully flat on the ground, with neither the heel nor the toes moving.

Moving forward, and kick!


The forward rocker should be gradual, but steep enough in height that it allows your knee to naturally bend as you move toward toe-off. There should be no sense of your foot stopping just before it leaves the ground - there should be a smooth, fluid motion. The angle of the initiating point of the rocker, across the ball of the foot, needs to be no more than 15 degrees off the straight line of motion of travel (pointing straight ahead). If your feet naturally splay outward, that is, they are in an externally rotated position compared to the direction of travel, the rocker angle needs to not interfere with your leg and foot's actual angle of travel, or you will start having knee issues. And the actual point of initiation of the forward rocker should be just behind the line drawn between the center of your first and fifth metatarsal heads. The more outwardly rotated your leg and foot are, the more the shoemaker or pedorthist needs to move the medial point of the forward rocker further behind (proximal to) the first metatarsal head. The idea of the forward rocker point is to initiate heel-off just before the foot would do it naturally - not a lot before, but just before. This will eliminate the tendency to hyper-extend, or lock, your knees.

Your experience with a rocker sole should make walking seem far less effort than before. They can help reduce shock, and joint motion, and will help you get longer life from the shoes, as well, because they help distribute the weight more evenly as you walk.

And remember, you should have a rocker on both shoes, because otherwise, you will start having issues with the longer limb, or the non-post-club side, for you uni-lats out there, as well. So the lift must be in addition to the height of the rocker sole. Plus, it makes you taller!

If the shoemaker is reluctant to work with you on this, you may need to find another. Or, take the finished shoes to a qualified pedorthist to have them appropriately modified. The correct design of the rocker makes all the difference. If anyone tries to tell you that a "rocker sole is always the same shape for everyone," slap 'em with a cold fish, and keep on truckin'!

Finally, I will be getting some photos and drawings out of deep storage in the next week or so, and will post them below this article, so check back often. And consider making a copy of this post to take with you to your shoe folks. Don't worry if they get offended - its better for you to be certain they do it right!