Maybe call it the Sex and the City footweareffect? High heels are stylish and in some circles considered a fashion requirement. But they come with risks: (emergency) room visits due to high heel shoe-related injuries doubled between 2002 and 2012. That’s according to a study in the Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. [Justin Xavier Moore et al,Epidemiology of High-Heel Shoe Injuries in U.S. Women: 2002 to 2012]
\Researchers estimate that, during the period of the study, Americans sustained more than 123,000 high heel–related, ER-worthy (injuries). Almost three quarters of the damage was to ankles and feet, but wearers also hurt their knees, shoulders and heads. Most of the injuries were minor.
The research adds to a body of knowledge on the (adverse) effects of heels. It’s known that walking in them can reduce ankle muscle movement, stride length and balance. Long term, heels can alter the neuromechanics of walking and can lead to musculoskeletal disorders. But they look good. And more than half of American women—and some men—wear heels regularly.
Most of the footwear foibles tracked in the study were (suffered) by women between the ages of 20 and 29. And perhaps surprisingly, the majority of the injuries did not happen while people were out on the town—they occurred at home. So before you don your newest pair of pricey pumps, wedges or stilettos, remember, being (careful) can save your sole. And your ankle, too.
