Rocker bottom shoe

[7][8] According to Swiss Masai, the market concept originated with engineer and former athlete Karl Müller, who intended they would "simulate the challenge of walking barefoot on soft earth".

In such cases, the wearer maintains solid and stable footing while standing, but the rock of the heel assists with the propulsive phase of gait, making walking more natural and less painful to the affected joints.

Beneficiaries of this type of sole modification include people suffering from arthritis or any other disorder or injury causing pain and/or loss of motion in foot joints.

[citation needed] Proponents of modern heel-to-toe rocker sole shoes claim that because the foot of the wearer is slightly destabilised, certain lesser-worked muscle groups in the leg, such as the core and gluteus, are challenged more than they are normally.

[2][5] The NICE guidelines in the UK state that healthcare professionals should not offer rocker-bottom shoes as a treatment for people with lower back pain or sciatica.