University of Alabama Birmingham Study Documents Rising Injury Rate for Women Who Wear High Heels

An earlier survey found that 62 percent of American women wore shoes with heels of two inches or higher on a regular basis. Now a new study by researchers at the University of Alabama Birmingham finds that high-heeled-shoe-related injuries have doubled over the past decade.

Researchers examined data from the Consumer Product Safety Commission that showed that between 2002 and 2012 hospital emergency rooms treated more than 123,0000 injuries related to women wearing high heels and that the number of injuries has peaked in recent years. The study said that women in the 20-to-29-year-old age group were the ones most likely to visit emergency rooms due to high-heel-related injuries. Surprisingly, half of all high-heel-related injuries occurred in the home.

Studies have shown that high heels reduce ankle muscle movement, step length, and balance control. In addition to leg and foot pain, regular use of high heels can alter the mechanics of movement to such an extent that it may lead to musculoskeletal disorders later in life.

The article, “Epidemiology of High-Heel Shoe Injuries in U.S. Women: 2002 to 2012,” was published on the website of the Journal of Foot and Ankle Injuries. It may be accessed here.