Dr. Peter Baum and Sohn Christof Baum have worked together for many years, dedicating themselves towards one aim: optimizing the wearing of high heels.

The many reasons why conventional high heels cause pain and are unhealthy can be clearly named: Uneven weight distribution in the shoe, lack of rolling motion, lack of stability, risk of twisting an ankle, disturbance of microcirculation due to constriction of the forefoot.

To solve these complex problems, the father and son team have developed a range of cutting-edge technologies that combine Dr. Baum´s highly specialized knowledge in sports medicine and orthopedics with a unique shoe technology and innovative high-tech materials. Hundreds of prototypes and thousands of hours of testing has resulted in a revolutionary product: an elegant high heel based on 11 elements that significantly reduces the pain and extends the potential wearing time by hours. Women who gave up on heels can now wear them again.

The anatomical support cushion prevents the foot sliding forward in the shoe by an ingenious three-point system. First, the heel is held and firmly gripped as if in a mold. A second fixing supports the heelbone, the largest bone in the foot. At the same time, the load is taken off the metatarsal heads in the third fixing area enabling the foot´s own arch, which normally falls in high heels, to keep its natural shape.

In 3D-printed test series, these three components were linked in such a way that their optimal function is guaranteed for approximately 80% of the feet, even without individual fitting.

Thanks to the high degree of innovation, the Maison Baum team benefited in 2017 from WIPANO patent funding from the Federal Ministry of Economics, which supports particularly technology-intensive developments in the patenting process. In the meantime, we have protected our footbeds, which are elementary for
comfortable high heels, in over 8 countries(to the patent as pdf).

That is why only the overall concept counts for us. A powerful engine also needs a strong chassis. We have developed and incorporated shock-absorbing heel tips, positioned at the leg axis with supporting and anatomically adjusted surrounding heel cushions and non-slip soles. 

In September 2021 switched Maison Baum from leather soles to outsoles made of elastomer, which is derived from recycled rubber and leather scraps and is significantly more water-resistant and durable than leather. The TPU inserts in the sole provide non-slip grip and stability when standing - so you can "sit back in your shoe" no matter how long the event lasts.

To test the effectiveness of our "therapy approach", we compared conventional high heels with the same heel height with Maison Baum-heels with an integrated footbed. We used the dynamic impulse measurement method from orthopedic shoe technology, in which a wafer-thin sole in the shoe measures weight load and rolling motion and at the same time indicates plantar (underside) pressure distribution and motion-dependent stress zones on the foot. The laws of physics cannot be overruled. In a car, incorrect axle measurement results in one-sided tire wear that endangers the driver and passengers. It is the same with the foot. If force is applied unilaterally to the forefoot over a long period of time, numerous elements of our musculoskeletal system are affected. At Maison Baum-heel (Fig. above left), the load is distributed more evenly in the heel and forefoot area than in the conventional high heel (Fig. above right). This results from the support of the calcaneus bone built into the footbed. While pressure measurements show that the conventional High Heel has a load ratio between heel and ball of the foot of approx. 80:20, the same is true for the Maison Baum-Heel (ratios of) approx. 60:40. In normal high heels, the greatest pressure values occur under the metatarsophalangeal joint of the big toe. This is, among other things, a result of the over-extension of the mobile first metatarsal ray and a disturbed balance of the foot, which rolls too much on the inside. Therefore, the shoe design Maison Baum aims at maximum relief at the metatarsophalangeal joint, which minimizes pain and is at the same time an effective prevention against hallux valgus and splayfoot development.-Heels with significantly reduced pressure values at the metatarsophalangeal joint on!

Static measurement records microscopic balancing movements of the muscles and ankle to maintain balance in the shoe - the thinner the heel, the greater the balancing act. In the conventional high heel, the static measurement documents a sustained challenge by the wearer to balance. This strain, mind you, already affects joints and especially the foot and back while standing. With the Maison Baum-heel, one can clearly see a stable sagittal perpendicular in the leg axis (red dot) as well as a smaller movement in the balance when standing.

While a conventional high heel requires permanent balancing work, test subjects stand relaxed and calm in the Maison Baum-shoe are relaxed and calm. Customers often report a feeling of being able to "lean back".

Dynamic measurements show that the shoe design has an effect on the relief of the forefoot. Maison Baum has an effect on the relief of the forefoot.

Our unique foot-bed design shifts the weight backwards and ensures that the foot is evenly flexed from the heel to the big toe. The flex line runs centrally and ensures equilibrium.

Conventional high heel shoes lead to torsion movements in the front foot, which negatively impact the foot and the joints. Such kind of high heels also lead to a valgization of the heel bone. The heel step is not stable and the heel easily turns outwards on impact. Even if this outward movement is barely perceptible, it is the main cause of accidental twists and a general sense of instability when walking in heels: “I can’t walk in shoes like that.“.

The Maison Baum-shoe offers an optimized heel position when stepping and thus promotes a more stable gait pattern. The ankle joint is stabilized and the knee is relieved.

The ratio between “step down-support-push off movement” and “swing phase” can be verified in a tabulated phase progression.

For conventional high heels, we see that the long blue bar indicates a 90% load at impact on the forefoot region – easily identifiable in a typical “triple step“. Due to the lack of heel impact at this stage, the foot cannot flex correctly. Possible long-term consequences could be damage to the ankle, knee, hip or spinal column and headaches

With the Maison Baum-heel, on the other hand, a red, blue and orange bar appears. Compared to flat shoes, the tread phase is lower, but nevertheless present - which is why we can basically speak of a gait pattern that is similar to that with flat shoes.

In which designs we have incorporated the above technology, you can see under All shoes.

More about our manufacturing process and sustainability approach.