Foot slap
Draft — clinical review required1 · Observe2 · Locate3 · Explain4 · Connect
Heel contact
Heel contact
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Contact indicators: heel and forefoot · filled only during contact.
Observed deviation · Heel first, then rapid forefoot lowering
Watch the moment immediately after heel strike.
0:00 / 0:56
Inspect gait moment · 0.0%
Illustrative demonstration angles and event timing · 0° is the reference, not a diagnostic cutoff.
Heel first, then rapid forefoot lowering
Go deeper
Open each part when you are ready.
Observed movement
- Heel first, then rapid forefoot lowering
Example mechanism
- Dorsiflexor weakness
- A movement pattern alone does not establish its cause.
Teaching narration
- Watch the moment immediately after heel strike.
- In typical walking, the forefoot lowers gradually as the ankle dorsiflexors control plantarflexion eccentrically.
- With foot slap, heel contact still occurs first, but the forefoot drops rapidly onto the ground.
- Pause at the heel, then follow the forefoot. The difference is the speed of lowering.
- One possible contributor is dorsiflexor weakness: the muscles cannot adequately control the downward movement.
- Foot slap occurs during weight acceptance. Foot drop describes reduced dorsiflexion during swing. They can occur together, but they describe different parts of walking.
Connect — related deviations
Apply it
What can this animation establish?
Sources and review status
Draft — clinical review required
Starting points for verification. Validated protocols are linked where available; clinical content has not yet been reviewed.
Learning objectives
- Identify the observed movement and its timing.
- Distinguish the observation from a possible contributor.
- Compare this feature with related deviations.