A biomechanics study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology investigated the effects of wearing high heels for several months.
Why are high heels are better than flats
Wearing high heels daily can reshape leg muscles and make you walk more efficiently, even in flats.
This study found that people who walked more than 1,500 steps daily in high heels used nine percent less energy to walk in flat shoes after 14 weeks.
The study:
- Researchers recruited people who rarely wore high heels (“heel virgins”).
- They created custom high heels for each participant and had them wear them for 14 weeks.
- The researchers measured muscle and tendon changes and walking efficiency before and after the 14 weeks.
The results:
- People who mostly stopped wearing heels early didn’t experience any changes.
People who wore the heels consistently:
- Had shorter calf muscles and stiffer achilles tendons.
- Surprisingly, they became more efficient walkers overall, using less energy to walk in both heels and flats.
Interestingly, this suggests that high heels might be a training tool to improve walking in people with mobility issues or even in healthy people seeking enhanced movement efficiency.
