• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.271-278
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• 2014

PURPOSE: This study researched the effects of different types of high heels on the muscles surrounding the cervical spine, the thoracic spine, and the lumbar spine by analyzing muscle activation of the paraspinal muscles during walking while wearing high heels. The high heels were all of the same height: 8cm. METHODS: The 28 subjects in this experiment were females in their 20s with a foot size of 225-230mm. To measure the muscle activation of the paraspinal muscles, EMG electrodes were attached on the paraspinal muscles around C6, T7, and L5. The muscle activation during walking while wearing 8cm high wedge heels, setback heels, and french heels was measured. The measurements were performed 3 times each and the mean value of the result was used for analysis. Two kinds of velocity were used in this study. One of the velocity was 2.5 m/s. The other was 3.5 m/s. RESULTS: The muscle activation of paraspinal muscles increased significantly according to increase of walking velocity. But there was no significant difference according to the heel types. CONCLUSION: In view of the results, the height of heels and the velocity of walking are more convincing variables than the width of the heels on the muscle activation of paraspinal muscles. So wearing high heels is not recommended for those who have pain or functional problem of cervical and lumbar vertebrae.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.117-125
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• 2013

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in movement strategies of lower limb joints depending on the type of heel during sit-to-stand. Methods: Twenty healthy females participated in this study. All subjects performed sit-to-stand three times each with three different types of heels - bare feet, 9 cm high-heeled shoes, and unstable shoes. Trails were conducted in random order. Three-dimensional motion analysis systems were used for collection and analysis of the kinematic data of lower limb movements. Results: Results of this study showed kinematic differences in pelvis, hip joints, knee joints, and ankle joints during sit-to-stand based on the type of heels. At the initial sit-to-stand, hip joint flexion, knee joint flexion, ankle joint flexion, and ankle joint inversion showed significant differences. The maximal angles of hip joint flexion, hip joint adduction, knee joint flexion, ankle joint flexion, and ankle joint inversion were significantly different, while hip joint adduction, pelvic forward tilt, hip joint rotation, knee joint flexion, ankle joint flexion, and ankle joint inversion differed significantly during the terminal of sit-to-stand. Conclusion: Therefore, the type of heel played an important role in selection of lower limb movements during sit-to-stand which were essential parts of daily life movements.

• Journal of Internet Computing and Services
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• v.21 no.6
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• pp.41-50
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• 2020

The consequences of wearing high heels can be different according to the heel height, gait speed, shoe design, heel base area, and shoe size. This study aimed to focus on the knee extension and flexion range of motion (ROM) during gait, which were challenged by wearing five different shoe heel types and two different self-selected gait speeds (comfortable and fast) as experimental conditions. Measurement standards of knee extension and flexion ROM were individually calibrated at the time of heel strike, mid-stance, toe-off, and stance phase based on the 2-minute video recordings of each gait condition. Seven healthy young women (20.7 ± 0.8 years) participated and they were asked to walk on a treadmill wearing the five given shoes at a self-selected comfortable speed (average of 2.4 ± 0.3 km/h) and a fast speed (average of 5.1 ± 0.2 km/h) in a random order. All of the shoes were in size 23.5 cm. Three of the given shoes were 9.0 cm in height, the other two were flat shoes and sneakers. A motion capture software (Kinovea 0.8.27) was used to measure the kinematic data; changes in the knee angles during each gait. During fast speed gait, the knee extension angles at heel strike and mid-stance were significantly decreased in all of the 3 high heels (p<0.05). The results revealed that fast gait speed causes knee flexion angle to significantly increase at toe-off in all five types of shoes. However, there was a significant difference in both the knee flexion and extension angles when the gait in stiletto heels and flat shoes were compared in fast gait condition (p<0.05). This showed that walking fast in high heels leads to abnormal knee ROM and thus can cause damages to the knee joints. The findings in this preliminary study can be a basis for future studies on the kinematic changes in the lower extremity during gait and for the analysis of causes and preventive methods for musculoskeletal injuries related to wearing high heels.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.911-917
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to investigate muscle activity of the lower limbs when walking in jeans in order to obtain basic information for development of new jeans patterns with excellent movement adaptability. Using three types of jeans (basic, medium, and slim) with different ease on hip, knee circumference, and crotch length, and two different types of shoes, Electromyogram (EMG) of the lower limbs muscle was measured for four healthy subjects walking on treadmills and stairs. EMG of vastus lateralis, semitendinous, tibialis anterior and medial head of gastrocnemius muscles was measured. The muscle activity was assessed in RMS (Root Mean Square) value of the EMG. On the treadmill in sneakers, only the vastus lateralis muscle showed a significant difference in RMS value depending on patterns. Basic and medium jeans allowed higher muscle activity than trunks of slim jeans did. On the treadmill in high heels and slim jeans, the RMS values of all muscles were significantly smaller than in basic jeans, whereas no significant differences were shown while in trunks or medium jeans. On the stairs either in sneakers or in high heels, no significant differences were shown between all muscle activities for all types of jeans. On the treadmill, greater fatigue was induced in all muscles from walking in high heels than in sneakers for all jeans patterns. When walking on the stairs wearing either type of shoes, however, the effect of jeans pattern on muscle activities was different from muscle to muscle.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Costume
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• v.65 no.6
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• pp.1-14
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• 2015

This study is aims to study the background of how the shape of the wooden shoes developed and worn by Koreans and Japanese in the ancient times by sorting and examining the types and shapes. Relevant bibliography, which are mainly related to the excavated wooden shoes from 3 B.C.E to C.E. 8., were used as research materials. The formation of wooden shoes required easy access to raw materials -which is trees- for production. According to the analysis, both Korea and Japan made the flat wooden shoes using cuboid wood. Both countries bore a hole on a specific location to distinguish the right foot and left foot, however the style of the heel was different in the two countries. The slip-on(Undu-hyeong) wooden shoes were also common in both countries. The slip-on had no-heels and was made by digging-out a piece of the cuboid wood. Some slip-ons made by the Japanese had furrows on the bottom, and they were known to make different types of the slip-on wooden shoes depending on the purpose. Observation of the wearing methods show that commonality can be found between the wooden shoes of Korea and Japan, and this indicates that cultural exchanges between the Silla/Baekje and Japan took place from the 4th to the 6th century. Also, the flat wooden shoes in Japan developed rapidly, as the shoes became an integral part of its life and culture, which was closely tied to agriculture. Eventually, due to the difference in climate and life-style, the slip-ons became the primary type of wooden shoes in Korea, while the flats became the main type of wooden shoes in Japan. It is, however, clear that as the relationship between the two countries became closer, the cultural exchanges regarding the wooden shoes were considerable.