Effect of wearing high heel and flat footwear on balance and stability dynamics: A kinetic study

Abstract

Maintaining balance and stability is essential for performing everyday activities and complex tasks that require coordination between muscles, tendons, bones, eyes, ears and the brain. However, slip, trip or fall incidents may occur if balance is compromised. Footwear (FW) design features have been identified as factors that affect balance. To investigate the impact of high-heeled and flat FW on balance stability during stationary standing, this study was conducted. Seven (n = 7) physically fit female subjects volunteered for the study. A repeated method was used to conduct this study. A high heel and flat FW were investigated for detailed kinetic parameters during standing. Participants stood on a force platform for 40 seconds in each condition. Bioware software was used to collect and process the data. Student’s t-test was applied to determine the significant effects (P < 0.05) of the selected FW on dependent variables. Ground reaction force (GRF) (Fx, P = 0.001), (Fy, P = 0.002), (Fz, P = 0.000), Centre of Pressure (CoP) Trajectories (Ax, P = 0.02), (Ay, P = 0.011), displacement (sx, P = 0.002), (sy, P = 0.001) and (sz, P = 0.002) and Absolute Coefficient of Friction (Cofxy) (P = 0.0012) values of high heel FW reflect poor balance and stability patterns compared to flat FW. Recent studies have shown that wearing high-heeled FW for extended periods can be detrimental to one’s health. This is due to the significantly elevated GRF, a more dispersed body sway area in terms of Centre of Pressure (CoP) movement, a curved displacement path and a lower coefficient of friction value. As a result, there is an increase in postural load and effort, which can lead to an increased risk of injury.