How Lift Placement Affects Balance: Heel-Only vs Full-Length Builds (Explained Simply)

Step Rite Shoe Lifts

A full-length lift raises the heel and the ball together so the foot keeps its normal pitch; it suits all-day shoes. A heel-weighted lift raises the heel fully and the ball less, shows less, and suits dress shoes worn a few hours. On heels and tall boots, one shoe can be raised and the other lowered.

Full length

The correction is added at both the heel and the ball of the foot and the toe is rounded. The foot stays at the pitch it had before. This is the build for a shoe you wear all day.

Heel-weighted

The heel gets the full correction and the ball gets less. The lift is less visible and the shoe stays more flexible. More of your weight lands on the ball of the foot and the two shoes end up with different pitches, which is fine for a few hours in a dress shoe and tiring in a work shoe.

Raise one, lower the other

A women's heel that needs a half inch can have one heel raised a quarter and the other lowered a quarter. Western boots with a tall heel can be done the same way. Each shoe changes less.

Telling the lab

Write how you wear the shoe on the order form. All day at work, church on Sunday, running. The pedorthist picks the build.