Are women are ruining their bone structures for the sake of fashion? Research shows that regular use of wide and high heeled shoes make a person more vulnerable to knee arthritis because of degeneration of the joint.
A recent study published in The Lancet suggests that women who wear high and wide heeled shoes are more prone to developing knee osteoarthritis than those who wear stilettos or narrow heeled high shoes. This effect is felt more since wide based shoes tend to be worn for longer durations because of the immediate comfort they offer.
The study was conducted on 20 women aged between 23 and 44 years who were required to walk in a pair of wide heeled and narrow heeled alternatively, for comparison. The height of both pairs of heels were the same, the only difference being in the width. The participants were required to walk a pre-decided distance barefoot, in the wide heels and in the narrow heels. The researchers measured their knee torques (pressure on the knees) in each situation.
The results suggested that though wide heeled shoes might be more foot-friendly, they certainly are not knee-joint friendly. While walking barefoot puts the minimum pressure on the knees, wearing stilettos puts about 22% more pressure and wide heels increase the pressure to about 26% more. The latter feel more comfortable since the weight of the foot is more equally distributed throughout the length. However, in the long run, they tend to erode the bone density at the knee joints thus making them vulnerable to arthritic pains.
Experts also say that though wide heels are more dangerous in the long term, stilettos still have more immediate shortcomings. Narrow heel wearers are more at risk for falling, ankle sprains and foot deformities than wide heels. Since both kinds of heels have their own drawbacks, it may be better to be out of fashion than to be out of health.
The Lancet Volume 357, Number 9262