Measured: Platform depth is measured vertically under the forefoot, and pitch, the working angle of the foot, is heel height minus platform depth.
The basics
What to know about sole construction
What sits under the whole foot decides more about how a shoe wears than anything printed on the box. Heel type tells you about the back of the shoe. Sole construction covers everything from toe to heel: grip, cushioning, flexibility, weight, and how a stated heel height actually feels on your ankle. Two shoes with identical 3" heels can wear completely differently because one hides a 1" platform and the other does not.
Two numbers do most of the work here. Platform depth is measured vertically under the forefoot, from the ground to where your foot rests. Subtract it from the heel height and you get the pitch, the angle your foot actually stands at. A 4" heel over a 1" platform gives a 3" pitch. Pitch is what your body feels at the end of a long night.
Read the options in pairs. Platform and flatform manage height. Lug and espadrille are opposite answers to weather: one bites into wet ground, the other must stay dry. Cushioned footbed and flexible sole trade protection against ground feel, and no single sole gives you both.
