What Happens When You Take a Step? The Walking Gait Cycle Explained
You take thousands of steps a day and you don’t even think about it. But each step follows the same pattern: two phases and five key movements that move pressure through your foot in an S-shaped curve, from your heel to your big toe.
Once you understand what your foot does with each step, it’s easier to choose comfortable shoes that work for your body, not against it.
What Is the Walking Gait Cycle?
Dr. Matt Driscoll, DC, of Driscoll Chiropractic explains that walking is made up of two phases: the stance phase and the swing phase. It begins when one heel contacts the ground. “As your body moves forward, weight is transferred from the heel to the midfoot, followed by a push-off through the forefoot and toes.” The leg then lifts off the ground, bends at the knee, and swings forward in preparation for the next step.
Walkers may typically be in stance phase 60 percent of the time and swing phase 40 percent of the time, moving from step to step. This can vary based on your step length and stride duration. Both feet are on the ground twice per cycle, once just after your heel lands and once just before you push off. Each lasts about 10% of the cycle. In walking, at least one foot is always down.
The 5 Key Movements of Walking
Before you take a step, your foot has three main points of contact with the ground: the heel, the base of the big toe, and the base of the little toe. Driscoll says, “These three points help create a stable foundation for movement.”
Once you start walking, your gait is not a straight heel-to-toe motion. Each step propels you forward. “This continuous cycle allows for smooth, efficient movement and helps us walk with balance and stability,” Dr. Driscoll says.
Stance phase – your foot is in contact with the ground
Heel strike
Your foot meets the ground and impact is absorbed into your heel.
Load and brake
Your heel brakes forward motion and absorbs the load as your weight shifts into the midfoot.
Stabilize
Your body stabilizes and the foot rolls forward from the midfoot to the ball of your foot.
Push-off
The heel lifts and power shifts to your big toe to push off and propel your body forward.
Swing phase:
Swing
Your foot leaves the ground and swings forward as the other foot prepares to strike and restart the cycle.
Is It Normal to Land on Your Heel When You Walk?
Dr. Ray McClanahan, DPM, podiatrist at NW Foot & Ankle and inventor of Correct Toes, says that gait depends on many variables so there’s no universal standard. “It is normal for most people to first land on their heels while walking.”
Where your foot lands matters more than which part lands first. Landing on your heel under your body is different from landing on your heel with your foot reaching out in front of you.
Landing under your body usually feels smoother, especially in barefoot shoes, where you can feel the ground. Learn how to land under your body and walk with your glutes in our guide to walking barefoot.
How Does Pressure Move Through Your Foot? (The S-Curve)
In the animation above, you can see how pressure moves from your heel, along the outside of your foot, and across to your big toe with each step.
Because walkers land heel first, the heel takes the first impact with every step.
If you follow the pressure path of a walking step, you’ll see it travel along the outside of your foot, then sweep across to your big toe, where you push off.
Your heel absorbs the most force at the start of the step, while your big toe uses the most power at push-off. Your inner arch and outer toes act more as stabilizers when most of your foot is in the ground during the weight change from heel to toe.
How Do Shoes Affect Your Walking Gait?
Dr. Alissa Kuizinas, DPM, a podiatrist at Wellness in Motion says cushioning, stability features and heel-to-toe drop all affect how much pressure lands on your joints and how hard your muscles work with each step. Stiffer, more structured shoes do some of that work for you.
On the other hand, she says “barefoot shoes will require you to use your full range of motion of the joints in your lower body. This can be great, but it can also expose compensation patterns.”
One of the key differentiators in barefoot shoes is the minimal cushioning provides immediate ground feedback. Walking is a great place to start with barefoot shoes, since it’s lower impact.”
As Dr. Driscoll says, “Footwear that respects the natural design of the foot can help improve movement efficiency, comfort, strength, and long-term foot health.”
An Outsole Built on the Same Curve: Pacer Lite
The Pacer Lite is Xero Shoes’ first performance walking shoe and it was designed with the walking gait in mind. It is still a true barefoot shoe: zero drop, foot-shaped toe box, and 13.5mm stack (a 10mm sole plus a 3.5mm removable insole), but with special features built for how you actually walk.
When it comes to designing a barefoot walking shoe, Xero Shoes’ product designers studied the walking gait and the way pressure moves through the foot with each stride.
“In walking, the pressure goes into the heel first, then disperses along the S-curve,” says product designer Ciera Schelling. “The design revolved around understanding where that first pressure is, how it moves through the foot, and where you need traction because of it.”
The outsole was the most important aspect of the Pacer Lite. They considered traction and durability in the higher pressure areas of the outsole, like the heel and forefoot.
“We started with our signature chevrons, softened them, and warped them to follow the S-curve,” Ciera says. “You can actually see a line in the outsole that follows that S-curve, so as your foot bends, the shoe bends with it.”
The heel-strike support is also a first for Xero. This embedded performance foam sits exactly where your heel strikes the ground, absorbing that impact without dulling the ground feel that makes the natural walking gait so efficient.
The table below shares more about how the Pacer Lite works with your walking gait.
|
Movement |
Outsole zone |
Why it’s there |
|
Heel strike |
Heel-strike support |
A small foam insert designed to soften heel-strike |
|
Load and brake |
Braking traction |
Grip while your foot absorbs the landing |
|
Stabilize |
Stability zone |
Support and smaller lugs where pressure is lighter |
|
Push-off |
Forward motion |
Traction where your big toe levers you forward |
|
Swing |
Light weight |
Cutouts keep the shoe light step after step |
FAQs
What is the walking gait cycle?
Every step has two phases and five movements. A full gait cycle is measured by a full cycle of one foot, from hitting the ground to the next time that same foot hits the ground.
Is it normal to land on my heel when I walk?
Yes. At an everyday walking pace, most people land heel first, according to Dr. McClanahan.
How is walking gait different from running gait?
Dr. Kuizinas explains that walking and running are two distinct patterns of gait. “Walking is essentially a continuous transfer of weight from one leg to the other, where one foot is always on the ground with a period of time where both feet are on the ground at the same time.”
The difference with running, she says, is only one foot is on the ground at a time, and there is a brief time where both feet are off the ground, requiring more muscle elasticity and shock absorption. Walking depends on controlled weight transfer and stability, while running relies more on muscle elasticity and absorbing shock.
Does what I wear change how I walk?
Yes. Dr. Kuizinas says cushioning, stability features and heel-to-toe drop all change how your foot and joints work with each step. Barefoot shoes let your foot use its full range of motion. Learn more about picking walking shoes.
What is good walking posture?
Walking should feel natural, and everyone's gait will look slightly different. As Dr. Driscoll says, “the upper body should remain relaxed and loose, while most of the movement and force generation occurs from the hips down.” There are a few reminders that will help you as you’re learning to walk barefoot or in barefoot shoes.
The content of this post is for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider with any questions or concerns you may have about your health or a medical condition.
Meet the Experts
Dr. Driscoll of Driscoll Chiropractic has a passion for improving his patients’ health and getting them back to their daily activities with well-rounded, sustainable solutions. He is a life-long learner and natural athlete who is continually searching for progressive techniques to advance the healing process for his patients. He aims to provide innovative care that improves not only current aches and pains, but overall health.
Dr. Ray McClanahan, DPM
Dr. McClanahan’s practice, Northwest Foot & Ankle in Portland, Oregon, allows him to care for those who find their highest joy when in motion. In three decades as a podiatrist, he has learned that most foot problems can be corrected by restoring natural foot function. He is also the inventor of Correct Toes, silicone toe spacers. His professional goal is to provide quality natural foot health services with an emphasis on sports medicine, preventative and conservative options, and education on proper footwear.
Dr. Kuizinas, DPM, is a board certified podiatrist who's passionate about foot health. She loves seeing patients transform their feet without surgery or invasive procedures. She is based in Boston, where she sees patients virtually and in-person at her practice, Wellness in Motion.
