The Archival Pilates Foot Corrector Exercise

Joseph Pilates filed for a patent for his Foot Corrector apparatus in Germany on the 27th of August, 1922. The patent was granted on the 4th of May, 1923, making it Joe's first officially registered Pilates apparatus. Reiner Grootenhuis, who has written a book about Pilates' Foot and Toe Correctors, kindly translated the patent from German to English for me.

In his patent, the Foot Corrector is described as a pressure pad held in place by two guide rods which can slide by means of spring-based pistons. These pistons are inside two cylinders which are secured to a footrest plate. A felt plate matching the foot size of the student can be inserted into the long part of the footrest plate to prevent the toes from slipping when the heel is raised and the toes are placed firmly on the plate. The springs can be replaced be stronger or weaker springs to suit the individual.

The pressure pad lowers when the part of the foot pushing on it closes the compression springs, and the pressure pad rises as weight goes onto the footrest plate and the compression springs open. Joe goes on to explain that "the spring action which makes it more difficult for the pressure pad to slide down is suitably produced either by spiral or flat springs or also by air or water filling." I find this very interesting because as a dancer I rehabilitated my broken leg by doing both Pilates and Burdenko Water Therapy with Igor Burdenko in Massachusetts. Like springs, water supports the body while providing the right amount of resistance.

The patent specifies that foot and leg defects are improved and even eliminated by using the Foot Corrector to massage and strengthen the muscles and ligaments of the feet. And in photo documentation Joe showed how strengthening the feet corrects both leg shape and posture.

In the classical approach to using the Foot Corrector as I learned it from Romana, the hips and shoulders are square and the focus is on moving the pressure pad from the powerhouse without relying on shifting the body weight forward. In the archival version the hips are open and the leg stance is wider which results in a deeper knee bend and more activation of the leg muscles. Both approaches are very valuable.