Above Knee Amputee Tries 'Work Out' Athletic Shoes
Jennifer Robinson
Yesterday, I tried the ‘work-out’, or ‘shape-up’, shoes for the first time. These are the newest trend of athletic shoes that have an extreme rocker bottom at the heel and very thick sole that tapers at the toe. The bottom of the shoe looks like the belly of a boat. The theory is that you will have to ‘work out’ to keep your balance with these shoes, thereby exercising your calves and abdomen. Because the shoe has an extreme rocker bottom at the heel, could it ease my impact at heel strike? I also was curious as to whether this type of shoe would affect my primary gait deviation, which is a severe vault (a habit that I just can’t shake). I use a trasfemoral (above the knee) prosthesis on my right side. I found that with this shoe, heel strike does not occur at a specific point and the impact is very low. Instead of helping me, this hindered my gait. Without a decisive moment or location for impact at heel strike, on my prosthetic side, there is no kinetic energy stored up. The pylon does not flex enough. The result is less energy return at toe off. My prosthetic foot felt completely dead. I wasn’t really disappointed, though, since the shoes cost over $100.00. At least my little mystery is solved.