Evidence has confirmed what women have already known for years: uber-high heels are not only painful to wear, but also a hazard to your health. In other news, the sky is still blue.
A recent survey of 1,000 women done by the shoe company MBT found that more than 40% of the high-heel wearers have suffered an accident in them -- most often from falling over, according to the Guardian.
In addition to injuries due to clumsiness, Luisa Dillner writes in the Guardian that heels over three inches carry a health risk. Three inches?! That's what we call a kitten heel.
According to Dillner, heels surpassing the three-inch mark can "seriously increase the pressure on the ball of your foot (up to seven times with heels over 3in high) and affect pretty much every part of your lower body as you walk."
The uneven weight distribution from high heels results in a shorter calf muscle and a thicker Achilles tendon. This makes it extra painful when the foot is flat on the ground and results in sore and inflamed tendons, according to a study in The Journal of Experimental Biology. Bunions and hammer toes are some of the other painful effects from heels.
Previous studies have also proven the inconvenient truths of stilettos, as a similar study out of Harvard found an increased risk for arthritis in one's knees from reckless heel-wearing.
Sounds lovely, doesn't it? And here's the kicker: the guy you're trying to impress with those sexy heels isn't even noticing. Another study showed that men don't even take note when women wear those sky-high pumps.
In conclusion... we will continue to wear high heels.
