Rocker bottom shoe

A rocker sole shoe or rocker bottom shoe is a shoe that has a thicker-than-normal sole with a rounded heel. Such shoes ensure the wearer does not have flat footing along the proximal-distal axis of the foot. The shoes are generically known by a variety of names, including round bottom shoes, round/ed sole shoes, and toning shoes, but also by various brand names. Tyrell & Carter identified at least six standard variations of the rocker sole shoe and named them: toe-only rocker, rocker bar, mild rocker, heel-to-toe rocker, negative heel rocker and double rocker.

The construction of most varieties of rocker sole shoes means that the wearer's body weight is shifted behind the ankle, and the wearer is required to do more work than would be required in flat-soled shoes to find their center of gravity and remain balanced. In the 2000s, a heel-to-toe rocker sole shoe for the sports footwear market was popularized by brands such as MBT, Shape-Ups by Skechers, and Reebok EasyTone.