Design Criteria for Rigid Rocker Shoes

Abstract

In this study nine different rigid rocker shoe designs were tested in 17 symptom-free male subjects and compared with the control condition of a flexible, non-rockered extra-depth shoe with the same flat insole. Effects of both rocker height and axis location were explored. Peak pressure was reduced at most forefoot locations by rocker shoes, but increased in the midfoot and heel. Axis location was found to have an important effect, particularly on hallux pressures. On average the best axis location for reducing metatarsal head (MTH) pressure was in the region of 55-60% of shoe length, while for the toes it was 65%. There was a mean trend towards optimal reduction of pressure in one of the rocker shoe conditions at each anatomical location, but the axis position for this optimal placement was variable across subjects and anatomical locations. While most configurations of the rocker shoes were superior to the control shoe, no single configuration was optimal for all subjects at all sites or even for all subjects at the same site. Therefore, some form of plantar pressure measurement in conjunction with gait training to ensure correct use of the rocker shoes would appear to be essential if the pressure reducing effect of the rigid rocker bottom shoe is to be optimized.

Biomechanics of the double rocker sole shoe: Gait kinematics and kinetics

“…Most previous investigations of the effect of heel height on gait are limited to running, but there is evidence to suggest that the magnitude and timing of the dorsiflexion demand moment are affected by changes in heel height (Reinschmidt, et al, 1995). More recently, van Schie and colleagues demonstrated that increases in sole height reduce pressure loading on the metatarsal heads and toes (van Schie, et al, 2000). The intertarsal manifestations of such pressure changes would also be expected to have an effect on ankle kinetics.…”

“…Specific shoe design is based on pressure measurements from a floor-reaction imprint; our group has previously demonstrated the effectiveness of this design in relieving midfoot pressures without exacerbating hindfoot or forefoot pressures (Brown, et al, 2004). Other investigations of plantar pressure changes secondary to such modified footwear are widely reported in the literature (Chesnin, et al, 2000;van Schie, et al, 2000;Fuller, et al, 2001;VanZant, et al, 2001), but investigations of changes in joint motion (kinematics) and joint loading (kinetics) are less common (Peterson, et al, 1985;Schaff, et al, 1990;Mueller, et al, 1995;Dingwell, et al, 1999;Xu, et al, 1999). The studies that do exist are generally limited to observational or quantitative two-dimensional analysis.…”

Custom Therapeutic Insoles Based on Both Foot Shape and Plantar Pressure Measurement Provide Enhanced Pressure Relief

“…Insoles provide the important interface between the foot and the shoe and, together with outsole modifications (4,5), offer the most direct approach to the reduction of potentially damaging tissue stresses on the plantar aspect of the foot. The Medicare Therapeutic Shoe Bill recognized the importance of this intervention for primary and secondary ulcer prevention (6).…”

Evaluation of combined prescription of rocker sole shoes and custom-made foot orthoses for the treatment of plantar fasciitis

“…shoes' basic clinical function is to 'rock' the foot from heel-strike to toe-off, thus 99 altering the motion and the force distribution patterns (Schie et al, 2000). All data for a given subject were collected on the same day.…”