Abstract: A shoe or other like article of footwear has a heel construction having higher shock absorbing capability in a rear portion compared to the remainder, this difference resulting from the incorporation in the rear portion of a layer of elastomeric material having a recovery which is delayed, after compression, by a time of an order not less than that during which load through the construction is transferred from the rear portion to the remainder following heel strike during normal walking. This load transfer time is about 40 ms. and the delayed recovery time will not normally exceed about 1s. A similar higher shock absorbancy can be provided additionally in a localized area of the sole.