Is higher toe spring the same as a stronger rocker?

Not necessarily. Toe spring is the height at the toe; rocker also depends on where and how steeply the sole curves.

Toe spring and toe tip height explained

What it is

Toe spring is how high the front of the sole sits above the ground when the shoe rests on a flat surface. It is related to the rocker but describes the height at the toe tip rather than where the curve starts.

How we measure it

We report toe tip over ground: the height of the sole's underside at the front of the outsole (97 % of shoe length), measured on side-profile photographs and converted to approximate millimetres for a men's US 9 (assumed 300 mm long). It is the average of two photographs; values marked * come from photos that differ by more than 4 mm. We also keep a relative toe spring, the height of the very front of the shoe as a percentage of length, which includes the toe bumper of the upper.

Values on this site

Toe tip over ground (mm): Height of the underside of the sole above the ground at the front of the outsole (97 % of shoe length), with the shoe standing unloaded. Measured from photographs as a fraction of shoe length and converted for a men's US 9 (assumed 300 mm long), so it is approximate (about ±3 mm). Estimated from photographs.
Toe spring (relative) (%): Toe-tip height above the ground plane as a percentage of shoe length (image-derived, uncalibrated).

Questions

Is higher toe spring the same as a stronger rocker?: Not necessarily. Toe spring is the height at the toe; rocker also depends on where and how steeply the sole curves.

See it in the data

Earlier-rocker running shoes

These pages describe product measurements. They are not medical advice or a recommendation for any person or condition. More: methodology, all explainers.