HIGH HEELS

HISTORY

Mediaeval Europeans wore wooden-soled pattens shoes, which were ancestors to contemporary high heels .High heel were for horse riders in the Near East who used high heels for functionality, because they helped hold the rider's foot. Footwear is depicted on a 9th-century ceramic bowl from Persia.

It is sometimes suggested that raised heels were a response to the problem of the rider's foot slipping forward in stirrups while riding. The "rider's heel", approximately 1 ¹⁄₂ inches (3.8 cm) high, appeared in Europe around 1600.The leading edge was canted forward to help grip the stirrup, and the trailing edge was canted forward to prevent the elongated heel from catching on underbrush or rock while backing up, such as in on-foot combat. These features are evident today in riding boots, notably cowboy boots.

COTEMPORARY SCENE

Since the Second World War, high heels have fallen in and out of popular fashion trend several times, most notably in the late 1990s, when lower heels and even flats predominate. Lower heels were preferred during the late 1960s and early 1970s as well, but higher heels returned in the late 1980s and early 1990s. The shape of the fashionable heel has also changed from block (1970s) to tapered (1990s), and stiletto (1950s, early 1960's, 1980s, and post-2000).

Today, high heels are typically worn, with heights varying from a kitten heel of 1.5 inches (3.8 cm) to a  spike heel of 4 inches (10 cm) or more. Extremely high-heeled shoes, such as those higher than 5 inches (13 cm), are normally worn only for aesthetic reasons and are not considered practical. Court shoes are conservative styles and often used for work and formal occasions, while more adventurous styles are common for evening wear and dancing. High heels have seen significant controversy in the medical field lately, with many podiatrists seeing patients whose severe foot problems have been caused almost exclusively by high-heel wear.

The wedge heel is informally another style of the heel, where the heel is in a wedge form and continues all the way to the toe of the shoe.

DANGERS

·         They can cause foot and tendon pain.

·         They increase likelihood of sprains and fractures.

·         They make calves look more rigid and sinewy.

·         They can create foot deformities.

·         They can cause an unsteady gait.

·         They can shorten the wearer's stride.

·         They can render the wearer unable to run

·         They can also agitate lower back pain.

·         Altered forces at the knee caused by walking in high heels may predispose to degenerative changes in the knee joint.

·         Frequent wearing results in a higher incidence of degenerative joint disease of the knees. This is because they cause a decrease in the normal rotation of the foot, which puts more rotation stress on the knee.

·         Thin or metal-tipped heels can cause damage to soft floors.

TYPES OF HEELS

·         cone: a round heel that is broad where it meets the sole of the shoe and noticeably narrower at the point of contact with the ground

·         Kitten: a short, slim heel with maximum height under 2 inches and diameter of no more than 0.4 inch at the point of contact with the ground

·         prism: three flat sides that form a triangle at the point of contact with the ground

·         puppy: thick square block heel approximately 2 inches in diameter and height

·         spool or louis: broad where it meets the sole and at the point of contact with the ground; noticeably narrower at the midpoint between the two

·         Stiletto a tall, slim heel with minimum height of 2 inches and diameter of no more than 0.4 inch at the point of contact with the ground

·         wedge: occupies the entire space under the arch and heel portions of the foot.

HEALTHY ALTERNATIVES TO HELP PREVENT SURGERY FROM WEARING HIGH HEELS

1.    Wear different types of shoes every day.Between tin heels and sneakers.

2.    During days that you wear high heels, if you work in the office, remove your heels a few times in the office and stretch your feet to keep the tendons and ligaments in your feet healthy.

3.     Some high heels offer more foot support than others. If possible, wear a pair of thick high heels.

                    ( preventing surgery by Nichole Jaworski, CBS Charlotte)