• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.1-9
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to assess the peak plantar pressure distribution under foot areas according to the height of heel lifts in obese adults and non-obese adults during walking. Thirty-one participants volunteered for this experiment. The average body mass index (BMI) value of the fourteen subjects in the obese group was $26.5{\pm}1.4kg/m^2$ (from 25.1 to 29.3 $kg/m^2$), and of seventeen subjects in the non-obese group was $20.0{\pm}1.1kg/m^2$ (from 18.7 to 22.7 $kg/m^2$). The subject ambulated while walking in the sneakers, walking with 2 cm heel lifts, and walking with 4 cm heel lifts in the shoes. We measured the peak plantar pressure under the hallux, 1st, 2nd, 3~4th, and 5th metatarsal head (MTH), mi foot, and heel using F-scan system. The obese group had significantly higher peak plantar pressure under all foot areas than the non-obese group regardless of the height of heel lifts (p<.05). The peak plantar pressure under the 5th MTH and heel was significantly decreased, also the peak plantar pressure under hallux, 1st, and 2nd MTH was significantly increased according to the height of heel lifts in the obese group and non-obese group (p<.05), We proposed that individuals with heel lifts in shoes should be careful, as there is high plantar pressure under the forefoot.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.112-124
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• 2004

Purpose : The purpose of this study is to research the effects of the differences in shoe heel height on balanced performances with a balance master. Method : 40 healthy female adults were divided into 2 groups at random. All the female participants were tested by a balance master system. Differences were analyzed according to high heel shoes and low heel shoes. The ability of static postural balance control was measured by modified CTSIB and unilateral stance test, while that of dynamic postural balance control was measured by LOS (limit of stability) and rhythmic weight shift, among the programs of a balance master. Result : 1. There is no significant correlation between the ability of static and dynamic postural balance control before main test without the shoes. 2. Movement velocity and directional control ability were significant correlation compared result of in high heel shoes and low heel shoes group. Conclusion : In conclusion, the test results of the high heeled shoe group and the low heeled shoe group through a balance master system showed that the former one is inferior to the latter one.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.39-48
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• 2004

In terms of women engaged in clerical job. working time of the workers who mainly keep standing with their high-heeled shoes on has been increasing. According]y. they are exposed to many kinds of foot deformation caused by loads of lower back and lower extremities due to high-heeled shoes. The type of heels they usually wear are diverse though the hight is same. In this study. we investigated most women's favorite styles of shoes concerned with heights. types and contact areas of the heels. Hence. we designed three kinds of shoes for an experiment: their contact areas with ground are 1 cm2. 2-4 cm2 and over 9 cm2 according to the heel heights. respectively. To investigate the biomechanical effects. analysis of motion and EMG were applied to the experiments. In addition. foot pressure distribution was measured for more detailed analysis. Six healthy young women were participated in this experiments. The result showed the heel becoming higher and narrower increased not only fluctuation of CBM(Center of Body Mass). but also the load of low back muscle and lower extremities. Accordingly. there was significant difference among types of the heel in terms of the role supporting load of the body. though the height is same. Especially. the difference among the pressures on a foot was most significant. In conclusion. we verified biomechanical effects are related with the contact area of a heel with ground as well as the hight.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.445-453
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze the gait characteristics and interaction between lower extremity joints according to shoe's heel heights in young women. Participants were selected as subject consisted of young and healthy women (age: $23.71{\pm}1.49yrs$, height: $165.92{\pm}2.00cm$, body weight: $54.37{\pm}3.46kg$) and walked with 3 types of shoe's high-heel (0, 5, 9 cm). The variables analyzed consisted of the displacement of Y axis in center of mass ([COM]; (position, velocity), front rear(FR) and left right(LR) angle of trunk, lower extremity joint angle (hip, knee, ankle) and asymmetric index (AI%). The displacement of Y axis in COM position showed the greater movement according to increase of shoe's heel heights, but velocity of COM showed the decrease according to increase of shoe's heel heights during gait. The hip and knee angle didn't show significant difference statistically according to increase of shoe's heel height, but left hip and knee showed more extended posture than those of right hip and knee angle. Also ankle angle didn't show significant difference statistically, but 9 cm heel showed more plantarflexion than those of 5 cm and 0 cm. The asymmetric index (AI%) showed more asymmetric 9 cm heel than those of 0 cm and 5 cm. The FR and LR angle in trunk tilting didn't show significant difference statistically according to the increase of shoe's heel height during gait in young women.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Clothing and Textiles
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• v.10 no.2
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• pp.21-28
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• 1986

This paper is concerned with the mutual relationship among interpressure, last. foot within a new shoe and foot within a fifty-hour-used shoe at the standing posture at three different heel-heights 1. The interrelationship between the heel-heights and interpressure is very significant at the level of $0.1\%$. The heel-heights cause high interpressure at different parts of foot; heel point and big toe point in a 3 cm-heel shoe, big toe point and heel outside joint point in a 5 cm-heel shoe, and little toe point, heel-outside joint point, and arch point in a 7 cm-heel shoe. 2. Foot girth and foot width measurements either within a new shoe or within a fifty-hour-used shoe significant at the level of $5\%,\;1\%,\;0.1\%$ and show discrepancies at three different heel heights; the part between instep and ball joint in a 3 cm-heel shoe, toe part in a 5 cm-heel shoe, heel-inside joint. heel-outside joint and toe part in a 7 cm-heel shoe are highly influenced by heel heights. The higher the shoe-hee15 are, the more heavily the fore part of foot is pressured in lateral direction because shoe is made to have high instep from a fashion viewpoint. Higher shoe heels prevent weight pressure from being concentrated on heel. If shoe heels are toe high, people in such shoes feel easily tired. It is very worthy of note in selecting shoes to consider not only the shoe fashion but also fore shoe type, heel height, and shoe material with proper elasticity.

• Journal of Korean Physical Therapy Science
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.17-25
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• 2013

The purpose of this research is to provide right information about deformation and to relieve fatigue of high-heels lovers. The research data includes 15 tests and survey on 71 female students. The result follows 1. Age of surveys is mostly 22, consisting 43.7% of all. The most frequently worn shoe kind is high heels that 45.1% of surveys wear 2. Female students those are 155~160cm high wear high heels most frequently, 40.8%. 3. The fatigue condition classified by hours of wearing: Surveys wearing high heels over 7 hours and 5~7 hours state starting to feel fatigue by 40.8%, 38.0% each, and the result was stastically significant 4. The appearance of pain on calf classified by hours of wearing: 35.2% of surveys answered they start to feel pain when worn high heels over 7 hours, and 33.8% of students answered 5~7 hours 5. The fatigue condition classified by kinds of shoes worn: 45.0% of the surveys felt tired when wearing high heels, 40.8% answered wearing heel inserted running shoes, and 14.0% for flat shoes. 6. The fatigue condition classified by heel height: 69.0% of survey answered they feel fatigue after wearing shoes with 5~9cm high heels, 21.1% answered under 3cm high heels, and 9.9% answered over 10cm heels(p<0.05) 7. The experience of cramp in calf cramp muscle classified by heel height: 69.0% of surveys experienced cramp when wearing 5~9cm high heels, 21.1% answered under 3cm high heels, 9.9% for over 10cm heels.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.224-230
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of height of the shoe heel in a one leg standing posture on the muscle activity of the rectus abdominis, erector spinae, hamstring, and rectus femoris. Twenty healthy female subjects were asked to perform a one leg standing posture with three types of shoes, which had different heights of shoe heel, 0cm, 3cm, and 7cm. Surface electromyography was used to evaluate the activities of the right rectus abdominis, erector spinae, hamstring, and rectus femoris muscles. The data was analyzed by repeated one-way ANOVA and the muscle activities among three heights of shoe heel were compared. The results showed that the muscle activities of the erector spinae and rectus femoris increased significantly according to increase height of shoe heel (p<0.05). The activity of the rectus abdominis and hamstring were not significantly different among the three height of shoe heel (p>0.05). These results suggest that the height of shoe heel affects the lumbo-pelvic alignment and center of mass; therefore, high-heeled shoes lead to musculoskeletal pain in the lumbopelvic, hip, and knee areas.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Precision Engineering Conference
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• 2010.05a
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• pp.1413-1414
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• 2010

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.593-601
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• 2009

The goal of this study was to investigate the lower extremity's coordination determined by temporal relations with increasing high-heel (3, 7, 9cm) while walking on a treadmill. Twelve healthy women who walked on a treadmill under three conditionswearing 3cm high-heel shoes, 7cm, and 9cm-while kinematic data were collected using a six-cameras (240Hz) Qualisys ProReflex System. From these data, knee flexion, tibia internal rotation, and foot eversion were calculated in Euler technique and found the time for occurring the maximum angle of these movements. The maximum angle of these movements occurred almost simultaneously in 3cm high-heel walking, but not in 7cm and 9cm. The ratio of time for maximum angle of the foot eversion to tibia internal rotation converged to 1 in 3cm high-heel walking, but were less than 1 in 7cm and 9cm. In conclusion, it was indicated that 3cm high-heel walking had better the lower extremity's coordination compared with 7, 9cm high-heel walking.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.24-31
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• 2009

This study aimed to investigate the effect of differing heel heights on the electromyographic (EMG) activity in vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL) during stair ascending and descending activities. A total of 26 healthy women volunteered to perform stair-ascending and stair-descending tasks with 3 heel heights: barefoot, 3 cm, and 7 cm. The EMG activities of the VM and VL were recorded during the tasks. During the stair ascending and descending tasks, the EMG activities of both VM and VL significantly changed with differing the heel heights (p<.05). Moreover, the EMG activities of VM and VL during the stair ascending task were significantly higher than the corresponding values during the stair-descending task (p<.05). However, there were no significant differences between the VM:VL EMG ratios for the 3 heel heights (p>.05). The VM:VL EMG ratios between the 2 tasks differed significantly in the 7 cm high heel condition (p<.05). Despite an increase in the EMG activities in both VM and VL during stair ascending and descending tasks, there was no change in the relative EMG intensities of VM and VL, which was measured by calculating the VM:VL ratio this result indicates that no VM:VL imbalances were elicited. The relative EMG intensities of VM and VL during stair descent were lower than the corresponding values during the ascent, suggesting that VM and VL may show an imbalance in the eccentric activation during the weight-acceptance phase. This study provides useful information that will facilitate future research on how heel height affects muscle activity around the knee joint.