Relationship between shoe heel shape and foot pressure while walking

Women have a lot of chances to wear high-heeled shoes for work on business occasions and for fashion. Even though several reports have demonstrated the physical risk, women continue to wear high-heeled shoes. The wedge sole is popular for some women as it is fashionable and allows the body weight to distributed over the entire bottom of the shoe, and the load on the foot is relatively small compared to the pin heel. However, its risks are not insignificant, and the possibility of falling must be considered. This paper clarifies the characteristics of shoe heel shape by recording foot pressure while walks. It describes a comparison of foot pressure in 7 foot regions for four different shoes (3 high-heeled with the same height and one low heeled). The pressure was captured by an insole type foot pressure sensor. The results of several experiments verify that the wedge sole with a strap gives stable walking even though the heel is high enough for fashion.