Designed for people with Walking Difficulties
If you (or a loved one) struggle to lift your foot while swinging it forward or worry about tripping and falling, this shoe is made for you.
How it works
Unlike regular sneakers, Cadense sneakers have an innovative sole with two adaptive nylon pucks.
Raised above the sole, these pucks enable smooth gliding over obstacles.
When pressure is applied to the front of the foot, the nylon pucks retract into the soft foam, while the rubber sole allows easy stopping and toe-off.
Walk without limits
Our patented variable friction technology has been designed to work indoors and outdoors.
Use them on low-pile carpets, hardwood floors, uneven pavements, concrete, and many more.
With Cadense you will walk effortlessly on (almost) any surface.
Cadense variable friction technology explained
Low Friction – Slide & Glide
Two elevated nylon pucks on each side make up the low-friction areas of the Cadense Adaptive Shoes. They allow its wearer to easily slide over obstacles like uneven pavements.
The Rocker – Enabling Variable Friction
The highly articulated rocker features ultra-low-density foam. This allows the shoe sole to absorb the low-friction nylon pucks and activates the high-friction rubber area.
High Friction – Stop & Toe-off
The recessed middle part of the shoe sole is made out of rubber and creates an area of high friction. This allows users to stop and toe-off with ease.
Let customers speak for us
Fits true to size as advertised. Foot drop is significantly improved. Comfortable, easy on/off, and good looking as well.
We spend 2/3 of our life on our feet and in our bed… 2/3!! Spending a Little more for either comfort- or in this case- functionality- just seemed to make sense to me.
I absolutely understand that this may be out of the budget range for some of us, but when I read their claims- knowing I could return them… I bought them.
And…They are absolute game changers! I can walk again!! Read that again… I can WALK again!! I couldn’t put a price on the feeling I had as I stood tall and moved!! I have shared information about Cadense with my physical therapists and loved it as they “ooohed and ahhhed”!!
If you are questioning your purchase… please do it for yourself… you’re worth it!
(FYI- 36 years living with MS)
Second pair as I may be hard on shoes. I was walking in hospital and watched a
Man using cane almost fall while tripping on edge of tile. I spent time showing him the difference in our shoes. Think I made a sale. I’m on second pair.
Love my Cadense !! Had them for about 2 weeks. Seeing much improvement!!
I’m 64 have a dropped foot and was falling often due to this issue. I’m so happy with these shoes not only are they nice looking they are stable and helping me not trip and fall . I work for a school imagine how embarrassing it was to trip in front of kids. I’m more confident in walking in front of them and not walking on pins and needles waiting to trip. Thank you for such a great school I’ve had people take pictures of my shoes to show their older parents who are having walking issues. I recommend them to anyone who has an issue in walking. I just wish they were cheaper as I would love another pair in a different color so I could change up my style. ❤️
Good looking shoe. Comfortable. It might be taking longer for me to adjust after many of years of walking incorrectly. I’m working on heel to toe walking. I’m using them with my Alinker (www.thealinker.com). Due to my CRPS, I have limited use of my left leg. I’m getting used to using both feet. It might take me a little longer, and I’m very impressed with my purchase!
These shoes support my drop foot without an afo brace. They are comfortable and give the stability that I need. I ordered a second pair in the new color!
Ever since my MS diagnosis led to progressive leg weakness and difficulty walking, I found I was more comfortable barefoot or wearing light slip ons. Shoes had to be as light as possible and as close to the ground as possible. The Cadense had me curious, but the extreme height of the shoe and the price put me off for awhile. However, I finally bit the bullet and purchased a pair, and after a few weeks I can honestly say I am surprised how much I like these shoes. I knew I was hooked when I chose to wear these shoes when I went out. They definitely make walking easier and therefore less tiring. The shoes are very light, with a flexible fabric covering over the toes. The insole arch is really strong, and the size of the bottom sole has not been a problem. I do have to raise the handles on my rollator one notch because I'm one inch taller! These shoes are definitely worth trying out.
After many months now I can say these shoes hold up well. One minor problem with my first pair as one of the pucks got stuck on a threshold and came loose on one end . After re attaching with shoe goo it has continued to perform very well. I have been able to use these shoes instead of my AFO leg brace for toe drop .
Makes walking easier for me. No longer have to have my foot sticking to the floor while trying to go forward. Takes less effort, allowing me to not dread walking.
Good looking shoe and great help with dropfoot
I bought for son in residency. He is not a big fan of the sound _- clicking on hospital floor :(
i have had to use muscles i haven't used in years i think they need vent holes hot hr=ere in California i actually glued moving sliders on my shoes years ago worked well but didn't last so thank you much better than my attempt definitely will be buying again i have wide feet and a high arch so i find some difficulty putting them on comfortable once on
It works great with my drop foot still have problems with my gait tho but the shoes are so comfortable I love them
Hey Cadense,
Just wanted to give a big shoutout for the awesome product I got
from you guys! Seriously, it's top-notch quality and totally blew me
away. Keep up the great work!👍🎉
These shoes are so comfortable and supportive. I drag my toes so wear holes through my shoes. I don't see how this will happen with these shoes. I am definitely walking better and my personal trainer think I should buy 5 pairs, lol.
Easy on, Easy Off.
Using only one hand, release the velcro, slide into the shoe, and tighten the velcro to your comfort.
You will be on your way in no time.
Stunning looks, exceptional comfort.
Say goodbye to unattractive and uncomfortable functional shoes and orthopedic footwear.
Our sneakers seamlessly blend the latest fashion trends with timeless design, and feel like walking on a cloud.
Over a decade of research
Our team’s work on gait restoration began in 2011, when Dr. Susko began work on the MIT Skywalker, the first robotic system that separated gait therapy into rhythmic and discrete components.
In 2015, he took inspiration from the feasibility study of the Skywalker with disabled adults and began collaborating with Dr. Hawkes to develop the first Variable Friction Shoe. After the first Variable Friction Shoe pilot test showed improvements in speed and biomechanics for some study participants in 2019, our research team worked to refine the design, with over 30 iterations, to deliver the first commercially available Variable Friction Shoe, the Cadense Original.
Ongoing work
Our research team is continually working to improve the understanding of walking mechanics associated with the concept of variable friction.
The National Institutes of Health recently funded a four-year study to assess the impact of training with the Cadense Original shoes at the Shirley Ryan Ability Lab, which U.S. News and World Report has ranked as #1 for Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation for the past 31 years. This study will be a collaboration between University of California Santa Barbara’s College of Engineering and Northwestern University’s School of Medicine.
Our Publications
- MIT-Skywalker: A Novel Gait Neurorehabilitation Robot for Stroke and Cerebral Palsy. See here
- Cycle variance: proposing a novel ensemble-based approach to assess the gait rhythmicity on the MIT-Skywalker. See here
- MIT-Skywalker: A novel environment for neural gait rehabilitation. See here
- Pilot Study of Cadence, a Novel Shoe for Patients with Foot Drop. See here
Meet our Research Team
Tyler Susko, PhD
Dr. Susko holds a PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently an associate professor of teaching at UC Santa Barbara.
Elliot Hawkes, PhD
Dr. Hawkes holds a PhD from Stanford University in Mechanical Engineering. He is currently an associate professor at UC Santa Barbara.
