Abstract
Introduction: Wearing high-heeled shoes (HH) is a wide-spread practice among Western women, maintaining popularity despite its harmful potential. We examined the main motivation behind wearing HH in female students, as well as the possible change to wearing HH among the research participants. Methods: Thirty university students (N=30 females, age 21.8±2.09 years; weight: 55.7±4.05 kg, height: 1.66±0.03 m, BMI: 20.34±1.41 kg.m-2, shoe size: EU 36–38), who rarely wore HH. The participants wore HH for no longer than 6 hours per month during the period two past years. The SonoSens Monitor Analyzer system (Gefremed, Chemnitz, Germany) was used to observe participants’ posture when walking and movements in individual sections of their spines. In a comparative experiment, the correlation between variables recorded when walking in two types of shoes was identified. The first pair of shoes (HH) had 7 cm heels whereas the second were flat sport shoes (FS). Results: The evaluation of participants’ spines and posture when walking in HH and FS revealed significant differences (p < 0.05). The evaluation of the initial and follow-up surveys indicates that the main motivation for wearing HH among the test group was to increase their attractiveness and respond to social expectations. After participating in the research and becoming aware of its outcomes and issues, the test group’s attitude to wearing HH has changed. Conclusions: In regards to good posture and spinal health, this study has raised some awareness amongst its participants, and has therefore proved to be a significant positive influence.
Highlights
Wearing high-heeled shoes (HH) is a wide-spread practice among Western women, maintaining popularity despite its harmful potential
A prevailing opinion in society is based on the notion that women are recognized, admired and perceived as sexually attractive and desirable if they adapt to certain visual models
In terms of median sagittal bending index (mSBI), statistically significant differences were identified in all sections of the spine at both measured walking speeds
Summary
Wearing high-heeled shoes (HH) is a wide-spread practice among Western women, maintaining popularity despite its harmful potential. Harmful physical influence is a common side-effect of the beautifying and attractiveness-increase process, people are often aware of it. Parents and peers may influence the development of a person’s body image by projecting their contemporary beauty ideals onto their close ones, forcing them, directly or indirectly, to follow it This appearance model relates to one’s mental image of their own body at a given time and this ideal may or may not correspond with the opinions of others [2]. Since women are judged based on their appearance, they are inclined to evaluate themselves based on it; research shows that this evaluation is often overly critical In their attempts to achieve an unrealistic ideal of female bodily beauty, adolescent girls often opt for harmful practices [6]. A study confirms that HH bring psychosexual benefits to women, but are detrimental to their health [7]
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