By Rehan Iqbal
Shoes are important elements of your look. You can use them to round out your outfit or feature them as showcase pieces. However, let’s not forget that shoes are also supposed to promote comfort.
Rocker bottom shoes were designed with the purpose of providing comfort in mind. If you aren’t familiar with rocker bottom shoes, then you’re in luck.
Throughout this article, we’ll discuss what they are, when they should be worn, and how you can get your hands on them. Read on and discover if you should start wearing rocker bottom shoes yourself.
What Are Rocker Bottom Shoes?
Rocker bottom shoes are known by many names. You may see or hear them referred to as rocker sole shoes, round bottom shoes, and round sole shoes.
In case you’re wondering, rocker bottom shoes have nothing to do with any style of music. Instead, they are known as such because of how they move.
You’ll see that rocker bottom shoes are equipped with an extra-thick sole and a rounded heel. Those elements featured are not for aesthetics. Their real purpose is to change a person’s gait and offer biomechanical benefits.
Rocker sole shoes excel at alleviating pressure along the soles of a person’s feet. By doing so, they make it possible for that person to walk without experiencing constant discomfort.
Some issues that can be addressed in part by wearing rocker bottom shoes include arthritis, joint pain, Plantar Fasciitis and chronic foot pain. If you’ve been dealing with foot pain for a while now, there’s a good chance that rocker bottom shoes can help you out.
What Are the Two Types of Rocker Bottom Shoes?
There are two types of rocker bottom shoes. They are the forefoot rocker sole shoes and the heel-to-toe rocker sole shoes.
Forefoot Rocker Sole Shoes
Forefoot rocker sole shoes have thick soles that start to curve at the point behind the metatarsal heads. The front half of the shoe is round, but the other half is mostly flat.
The positioning of the rounded sole allows the shoe to effectively alleviate the pressure that would otherwise reach the foot. More specifically, the pressure is taken away from the part under the ball of the foot.
The distinct design of forefront rocker sole shoes helps free wearers from ball-of-foot pain. The effects of big toe arthritis are also minimized when those shoes are worn.
Heel-to-Toe Rocker Sole Shoes
The distinctive rocker sole is more prominent in heel-to-toe shoes. As you’ve probably guessed, the thick heel now extends from the heel to the toes.
When you take a step while wearing heel-to-toe rocker sole shoes, your feet tend to roll faster. Your feet roll smoother along the surface and less pressure is placed on the heel. It’s not just the heel that benefits from this type of design.
You can also wear heel-to-toe rocker sole shoes to minimize the effects of ankle and/or midfoot arthritis. Those aforementioned issues can be quite painful so you’ll appreciate the relief provided by heel-to-toe rocker sole shoes.
When Should You Wear Rocker Bottom Shoes?
Now that we know more about rocker bottom shoes and what they do, let’s ask an obvious follow-up question. When should you wear your rocker bottom shoes?
You should consider making the switch to rocker sole shoes if you’ve been dealing with some of the foot and lower body ailments that we mentioned earlier. The shoes alone won’t free you from those issues, but they can at least help you get more comfortable. That can make a big difference in your daily life.
Still, you shouldn’t start wearing round sole shoes right away. Because these shoes change your gait, you will probably have a hard time walking in them early on. You may fall over more than a few times as you start to get used to the way you’re supposed to walk.
That’s why you should take the time to practice wearing the shoes before you head out with them. Only wear them inside your house at first and walk around for a few minutes. From there, you can incrementally increase the amount of time that the rocker bottom shoes stay on your feet.
Once the round bottom shoes feel natural, you can start wearing them when you head out.
Who Should Avoid Wearing Rocker Bottom Shoes?
First off, they should not be worn by elderly individuals. Seniors may have a hard time adjusting to the way the round sole shoes change their gait. They could fall over as soon as they take a step in those shoes and twist an ankle.
You may also want to pass on rocker bottom shoes if you currently have knee problems. Although rocker bottom shoes alleviate pressure along different parts of your feet, they do increase pressure on your knees.
Wearing rocker bottom shoes for an extended amount of time can cause your knee problems to get worse. Rotate the use of your rocker bottom shoe with a flat sole shoe.
How Do You Get Rocker Bottom Shoes?
Thankfully, rocker bottom shoes are more widely available these days. If you want a pair, you shouldn’t have a tough time getting them.
Buying rocker bottom shoes is easy enough. You can find them sold by brands such as Skechers, New Balance, and Altra. Order them online or head to the store so you can see if they’re a perfect fit before making the purchase.
The other way to obtain rocker bottom shoes involves paying a visit to the doctor. They can write you a prescription for rocker bottom shoes. With the prescription in hand, you can request a custom pair of shoes with the rocker bottom soles added.
Rocker bottom shoes are becoming more prevalent as more people are starting to understand their benefits. We’re even seeing some sandals that feature a design similar to rocker bottom shoes.
Hopefully, you can now make your own decision with regards to getting rocker bottom shoes. Decide for yourself if the benefits they present are worth the purchase.
