Heel Lifts Explained: A Transition Tool for Flat, Flexible Footwear

This article explains what heel lifts are, how changes in heel height affect calf and Achilles loading during a transition to flatter footwear, and why heel lifts may be used short term as a load-management tool rather than a corrective or long-term solution, including the design considerations needed for them to work reliably in flexible shoes.

Charlie Kirby Head of MovementFebruary 9, 2026

Flat, flexible footwear changes how the body moves, especially at the ankle. For some people, this shift feels easy. For others, particularly when the change happens quickly, it can increase demand on the calves and Achilles tendon. Heel lifts are a small, optional tool that can help manage this transition. Rather than fixing posture or correcting problems, they work by temporarily adjusting ankle mechanics, allowing the body to adapt to flatter shoes at a more manageable pace.

What Is a Heel Lift, and What Does It Do?

A heel lift is a small silicone insert that sits inside a shoe and raises the heel by a small, measurable amount. Even small changes in heel height have been shown to change how the legs move during walking and running (Rabusin et al., 2019; Johanson et al., 2006).

Compared to flat shoes, most cushioned running shoes use a heel-to-toe drop of about 6–12 mm (Malisoux et al., 2017). Changing heel height, even slightly, can affect how the lower body works when you move.

Heel lifts don’t fix posture or correct problems. Instead, they change ankle movement. In some situations, they reduce how much the ankle bends upward, which can make flat shoes feel less demanding during a transition (Rabusin et al., 2019; Johanson et al., 2006).

Why Do Flat Shoes Make My Calves Work Harder?

Lowering heel-to-toe drop changes how the ankle moves compared to shoes with a raised heel (Zhang et al., 2021; Malisoux et al., 2017). These changes can increase the load on the calf muscles and the Achilles tendon for some people (Zhang et al., 2021; Rabusin et al., 2019).

For some, this change feels easy and the body adapts quickly. For others, especially when the change happens too fast , the added load is linked to higher tissue stress and a higher risk of injury (Warne & Gruber, 2017). This doesn’t mean something is wrong. It simply means the body is handling load differently.

What matters most is context: what shoes you wore before, what activities you’re doing, and how quickly the load increases (Warne & Gruber, 2017).

What Happens If You Switch to Flat Shoes Too Fast?

Flat and barefoot-style shoes are often treated as an all-or-nothing choice. In reality, the body usually adapts step by step.

When people switch quickly to lower-drop shoes, the calves and Achilles may take on more work throughout the day (Zhang et al., 2021). Quick jumps in load are linked to higher injury risk. That’s why how fast you change matters more than the type of shoe itself (Ridge et al., 2013).

Managing load, not following an idea or trend, is what supports adaptation (Warne & Gruber, 2017).

This is where heel lifts can help. By changing load for a short time, they can slow the transition to flatter shoes. Adaptation is still needed, but it doesn’t have to happen all at once (Rabusin et al., 2019; Martin et al., 2024).

What to Consider When Switching to Flat Shoes?

The term “barefoot-style footwear” includes several features that affect the body in different ways.

Foot shape and flexibility change how the foot moves inside the shoe. Heel-to-toe drop has a more direct and well-studied effect on ankle movement and lower-leg loading (Zhang et al., 2021; Malisoux et al., 2017). Because of this, lower-drop or zero-drop shoes usually need a slower transition, especially for people used to raised heels (Warne et al., 2017).

What matters most isn’t how minimal a shoe sounds, but how its demands fit into someone’s daily movement.

When Should You Use Heel Lifts and When Shouldn’t You?

Heel lifts are optional tools. Not everyone needs them, and they aren’t meant for long-term use.

They don’t replace adaptation, and they aren’t a shortcut. In clinical and sports-medicine settings, heel lifts are used for short periods to reduce load on the Achilles tendon during activity (Martin et al., 2024).

In everyday footwear, they offer one way to manage load while moving toward flatter shoes. Some people may use them briefly during a transition. Others may use them only on longer or more demanding days (Rabusin et al., 2019).

They’re just one option, alongside other sensible approaches such as:

slowly increasing time in flat shoes
adjusting training or daily activity
rotating between different types of footwear

Heel lifts aren’t required and they aren’t corrective. They simply offer another way to control how quickly change happens.

Why We Decided to Offer Heel Lifts

We’re approaching our fourth year at Bahé, and we’ve just launched our smallest product yet, just 4 mm thick.

As Head of Movement, I see our new heel lifts as a useful option for people who want to try flat, flexible footwear. This is especially true during a transition period. They aren’t flashy, but in the right situation they can help reduce strain while the body adapts.

Learn More

Why Bahé’s Heel Lifts Are Designed the Way They Are

That led us to focus on the practical problem of stability inside flexible footwear. This design responds to the stability and flexibility demands of flat, flexible shoes, focusing on how a heel lift behaves inside them. Many heel lifts are narrow and made for traditional shoes. In foot-shaped footwear, this can feel unstable.

Ours are wider to better fit barefoot-style shoes. They’re made from a silicone designed to behave consistently under load while still allowing natural movement. The goal wasn’t to change how the foot works, but to make sure the lift performs reliably inside a flexible shoe.

References

Rabusin, C. L., Menz, H. B., McClelland, J. A., et al. (2019).Effects of heel lifts on lower limb biomechanics and muscle function.Gait & Posture. Read the Article

Johanson, M. A., et al. (2006).Heel lifts and the stance phase of gait.Journal of Athletic Training. 41(2), 159–165. Read the Article

Malisoux, L., Gette, P., Chambon, N., Urhausen, A., & Theisen, D. (2017).Adaptation of running pattern to shoe drop.Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. Read the Article

Zhang, X., et al. (2021).Minimalist shoe transition and Achilles tendon loading.Journal of Biomechanics. Read the Article

Ridge, S. T., et al. (2013).Bone marrow edema after minimalist shoe transition.Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. Read the Article

Warne, J. P. & Gruber, A. H. (2017).Transitioning to minimal footwear.Sports Medicine – Open. Read the Article

Martin, R. L., Chimenti, R., Neville, C., et al. (2024).Achilles tendinopathy clinical practice guidelines.Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy. Read the Article