• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.11 no.6
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• pp.35-51
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• 2007

This research was administered in order to know the effects of heels on the foot by comparing the foot environmental characteristics when common shoes and elevated shoes are worn. First, 157 male adults in their 20s through 40s living in Busan were the inquiry subjects to reveal the shoes-wearing reality of adult males. Second, 7 male adults in their early 20s became the subjects for the experiments of wearing common shoes and elevated shoes. 1. Inquiry Results of Shoes-Wearing Reality Common-shoes wearers were in the order: 20s (43.9%) > 30s (24.8%) > 40s (8.3%). Elevated-shoes wearers were mostly 20s (12.1%), followed by 30s (8.3%) and 40s (2.5%). Among the wearing effects of elevated shoes were 'looking taller' (66.7%), 'no height complex & more confidence' (30.6%), and 'higher work efficiency' (2.8%). In sum, 97.3% of the male subjects believed in great positive effects by wearing elevated shoes. 2. Shoes-Wearing Experiment Results In foot skin temperature, significant differences between the two groups were admitted in outer foot a (p<0.05) and other areas (p<0.001), except in the instep. Elevated-shoes group had bigger skin temperature, while the order of temperature was the instep, the big toe, inner foot a/b/c and outer foot a/b/c. Significant difference was accepted in total sweat rate (p<0.05) and local sweat rate (p<0.01). Elevated-shoes group appeared higher in both rates. Significant difference (p<0.001) between the two groups was recognized in fatigue degrees after wearing, whereas significance (p<0.05) in elevated-shoes group was approved in fatigue before and after exercise. So elevated-shoes group experienced more fatigue, especially after exercise.