Foot drop is a common complication of lower limb motor dysfunction after stroke, which will have a serious impact on gait symmetry, walking ability and quality of life of patients. Although traditional rehabilitation methods such as rehabilitation exercise therapy can improve symptoms to a certain extent, there are limitations such as passive correction and large individual differences in efficacy. Functional electrical stimulation (FES) is an active rehabilitation technique that relies on neuromuscular activation and central remodeling. It can correct foot drop gait by targeted stimulation of common peroneal nerve and anterior tibial muscle group. It can also induce neuronal plasticity and improve motor function by long-term intervention. This article reviews the concept of FES and the characteristics of different stimulation methods and control strategies, explains its mechanism of action in improving foot drop following stroke, summarizes the principles for parameter settings, the target population, and evidence of efficacy. It also discusses the main challenges in its current widespread application, as well as future directions such as intelligent closed-loop control, multimodal combined interventions, and integration of optogenetic technology. The aim is to provide theoretical basis and practical reference for optimizing the rehabilitation strategy of foot drop after stroke.