Biomechanical study with kinematic and kinetic descriptions of the effect of high-heeled shoes in healthy adult females based on gait analysis

Abstract

Many women remain unaware of the negative effect of high-heeled shoes and the damage and significant changes they can cause in the human body. Studying the effect of high heels during walking shows biomechanical changes in the person wearing the shoes based on their influence on ankle joints, foot pressure distribution, and muscle activity, and changes in Ground Reaction Forces. This study examined the effects of high heels and smooth-soled court shoes using gait analysis. Experiments were conducted on five healthy volunteers, who were all young women without known diseases or muscle or bone injuries; most were also accustomed to wearing high heels on a daily basis. The volunteers’ average age was 22.4 years, the average height 160 cm, and the average weight 59.8 kg. Three types of high heels were used; each volunteer was thus required to walk barefoot, with 1 cm heels, 5 cm heels, and with 7cm heels.The result showed that the step length and ankle joint angle decreased as the heel height increased, causing the speed of gait to become slower and the cadence to increase, thus increasing vertical ground reaction force and the moment of the knee joint. Women should be advised not to wear shows with heel heights greater than 5 cm to reduce the injury risk and preserve comfort.