Title: Lower extremity mechanics of jogging in different experienced high-heeled shoe wearers

Authors: Fengling Li; Yan Zhang; Yaodong Gu; Jianshe Li

Addresses: Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China ' Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China ' Faculty of Sports Science, Ningbo University, Ningbo, China ' Zhejiang University of Water Resources and Electric Power, Hangzhou, China

Abstract: In today's society, many women wear high-heeled shoes. However, the effect of wearing high-heeled shoes on different experienced high-heeled shoe wearers wearing the same heel heights has not been fully investigated from the biomechanical point of view. In the present study, different experienced female high-heeled shoe wearers were asked to jog wearing high-heeled shoes of two different heel heights (1.5 and 4.5cm). Kinematic data from a three-dimensional motion analysis system were collected to describe the lower extremity mechanics while the subjects were jogging at self-selected speeds. The results were as follows: throughout the jogging gait cycle, hip abduction was significantly decreased when experienced high-heeled wearers wore low-heeled shoes compared to when they wore flat shoes, and knee flexion was significantly decreased (p = 0.008, p = 0.003). In addition, ankle plantarflexion and abduction were significantly decreased on the part of experienced high-heeled wearers compared with those inexperienced wearers in low-heeled shoes (p = 0.006, p = 0.004). The results tend to be helpful for different experienced wearers in choosing high-heeled shoes. Certainly, this will be one of the best biomechanical evidences and scientific suggestions for supply footwear manufacturers.

Keywords: high-heeled shoes; experienced shoe wearers; kinematics; jogging; lower limbs; lower extremity mechanics; biomechanics; female shoe wearers; women; heel heights; motion analysis; hip abduction; knee flexion; ankle plantarflexion; ankle abduction; footwear manufacturing; high-heeled shoe selection; shoe design; high heels.

DOI: 10.1504/IJBET.2014.060991

International Journal of Biomedical Engineering and Technology, 2014 Vol.15 No.1, pp.59 - 68

Received: 27 Jan 2014
Accepted: 31 Mar 2014
Published online: 21 Oct 2014 *

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