Sex-show spawns killer stilettos

Josh ---- you are turning into a media star

Farewell 'Sex and the City', our feet won't miss you

 

Go Josh :

Raunchiest show turns prude

 

Getting a foot hold in the media is no bad thing and if you excuse the pun
(quite a fete). From that perspective, all news is good news.

However in the interests of accuracy much of the quotations pertaining to the evils of high heels was podiatric rhetoric and not at all supported by scientific evidence. Common sense would lead most to agree with Josh and anecdotal evidence too would give structure to the debate, particularly when coming fromm the experiences of a skewed patient population. I would agree people with sore feet have often related exciting factors from the ill footwear but this does not extrapolate to the general popluation and it would be quite misleading to give that impression. Scientifically heeled shoes have no real implication to foot morbidity. Quite the contrary in fact. New research shows rotational stress on the knee is less prononced in stiletto heel wearers than those in sensible (flat) heels. It would appear the role of proprioception has a major part in feeling of comfort and that the medial and lateral colums of the foot play a key role in biofedback. Unlocking the midtarsal joints by standing on a raised heel (strelaxed) may imrove the feel of shoe comfort and hence give confidence to walk. All this is contrary to the "same old same old " arguments churned out by the foot police.

The historical background to medical condemnation of heeled shoes is misogynistic and came at times when males feared women joining the workforce. Take a read at : Linder M Saltzman CL 1998 A history of medical scientists on high heels International Journal of Health Services 28:2 201-225

Sorry to be a damp squibb.

Cameron

 

Hi All,
Thanks for checking out the media release on high-heeled shoes. While my clinical thoughts lacked scientific rigour, there is some empirical data on the deleterious effects of high-heeled shoes:

1. increased forefoot loading (Gastwirth et al, 1991; Snow et al, 1992; Corrigan et al 1993; Nyska et al 1996)
2. decreased stride length (Merrifield et al, 1971)
3. increased arch height (Schwartz et al, 1959)
4. increased energy consumption (Ebbeling et al, 1994)
5. altered sagittal plane function of first MPJ, ankle and knee (Sussman et al, 1984; McBride et al, 1991)
6. altered muscle function (Lee et al, 1987, 1990)

However, the media release was really all about getting the main idea across that high-heeled pointy shoes are not what we clinically recommend.

Josh Burns

 

Josh

These are all pretty small studies and in vitro rather than in vivo. Extremely difficult to group the findings togther therefore with any certainty and impossible to extrapolate to the general population. The important aspect is to get into the media I am just suggesting not to promulgate myth.

In their review on high heels the authors show no substance to the medical condemnation of heeled shoes. In my own researches the origins of sensible heels can be traced to war rationing in the 40s, with no other purpose other than to save materials for the war effort. Wearing low heeled shoes was patriotc very quickly picked up by shoe retailers keen to maintain a lucrative market in fashioned shoes during the war years. Keeng the home front in tip top condition became a focus of the medical fraternity and soon low heel and healthier feet were inseperable.

Anyway in the end it is getting out there and bieng a spokesperson. It is not always easy. Well done.

Cameron