Forefoot bending stiffness explained
What it is
Bending stiffness is how much force it takes to bend the shoe at the forefoot, the way it bends when you push off. A flexible shoe bends easily at the ball of the foot; a stiff one, often with a plate, resists and makes the rocker do the work instead.
How it is measured
Independent labs clamp the heel and push the forefoot up to a fixed angle (30 degrees), recording the force needed in newtons. We convert that force to a 0–100 score across the range seen in current shoes, so higher means stiffer. The score is labelled derived and links to how it was computed.
Why it matters together with the rocker
A stiff forefoot on a flat sole makes push-off harder, because the foot has to lever the whole shoe. A stiff forefoot on a rockered sole lets the shoe roll over instead of bending. Compare the stiffness score with the rocker apex and toe tip height.
Values on this site
- Longitudinal stiffness (score): Resistance to bending along the shoe length, 0–100 relative scale. Method-specific.
Questions
- Does a carbon plate always mean a stiff shoe?
- Usually stiffer than an unplated shoe, but plate shape and foam matter, and some unplated shoes are stiff too. The score is measured on the shoe, not inferred from the plate.
See it in the data
These pages describe product measurements. They are not medical advice or a recommendation for any person or condition. More: methodology, all explainers.