• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.61-71
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• 1997

In industrial designing of ready-to-wear shoes, one important factor to consider is that the population has diverse fooot shapes as well as foot length. The general shape of a foot could be represented by "foot ratio", i.e. the ratio of width to length. In this study, we measured several dey aspects of young Korean men's foot, and compared the results with their shoe sizes and general foot shapes. To this end, 172 male subjects were categorized according to their shoe size (small, medium, large) or foot ratio (wide, narrow, intermediate). The statistics of this survey indicated that the people with narrow foot shap have significantly greater foot length compared with the one having wide foot shape. Conversely, subjects having wide foot shape manifested significantly greater foot and ankle girth as well as significantly greater foot breadth. However, different foot shape groups showed no significant differences in heel width, heel ankle girth, instep height, and malleolus height. On the other hand, subjects wearing larger shoe size showed significantly larger foot measurements except instep and ankle heights, whereas subjects with shoe sizes 260 and below measured significantly more narrow heel and lateral metatarsal breadths. The deviation between foot length and dress shoe size(length) was greater in groups with wide foot shape and in groups wearing large shoe sizes. The results of this survey indicated that the subjects with wide foot shape apparently choose a size or two larger shoes for them as a compromise for a better breadth fit.eadth fit.

• Journal of the Korea Academia-Industrial cooperation Society
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.224-230
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of height of the shoe heel in a one leg standing posture on the muscle activity of the rectus abdominis, erector spinae, hamstring, and rectus femoris. Twenty healthy female subjects were asked to perform a one leg standing posture with three types of shoes, which had different heights of shoe heel, 0cm, 3cm, and 7cm. Surface electromyography was used to evaluate the activities of the right rectus abdominis, erector spinae, hamstring, and rectus femoris muscles. The data was analyzed by repeated one-way ANOVA and the muscle activities among three heights of shoe heel were compared. The results showed that the muscle activities of the erector spinae and rectus femoris increased significantly according to increase height of shoe heel (p<0.05). The activity of the rectus abdominis and hamstring were not significantly different among the three height of shoe heel (p>0.05). These results suggest that the height of shoe heel affects the lumbo-pelvic alignment and center of mass; therefore, high-heeled shoes lead to musculoskeletal pain in the lumbopelvic, hip, and knee areas.

• Physical Therapy Korea
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• v.16 no.3
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• pp.24-31
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• 2009

This study aimed to investigate the effect of differing heel heights on the electromyographic (EMG) activity in vastus medialis (VM) and vastus lateralis (VL) during stair ascending and descending activities. A total of 26 healthy women volunteered to perform stair-ascending and stair-descending tasks with 3 heel heights: barefoot, 3 cm, and 7 cm. The EMG activities of the VM and VL were recorded during the tasks. During the stair ascending and descending tasks, the EMG activities of both VM and VL significantly changed with differing the heel heights (p<.05). Moreover, the EMG activities of VM and VL during the stair ascending task were significantly higher than the corresponding values during the stair-descending task (p<.05). However, there were no significant differences between the VM:VL EMG ratios for the 3 heel heights (p>.05). The VM:VL EMG ratios between the 2 tasks differed significantly in the 7 cm high heel condition (p<.05). Despite an increase in the EMG activities in both VM and VL during stair ascending and descending tasks, there was no change in the relative EMG intensities of VM and VL, which was measured by calculating the VM:VL ratio this result indicates that no VM:VL imbalances were elicited. The relative EMG intensities of VM and VL during stair descent were lower than the corresponding values during the ascent, suggesting that VM and VL may show an imbalance in the eccentric activation during the weight-acceptance phase. This study provides useful information that will facilitate future research on how heel height affects muscle activity around the knee joint.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Nondestructive Testing
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.247-253
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• 2005

This study investigated the effects on foot and ankle roll-over characteristics according to different heel heights during walking. Fifteen female volunteers who have neither musculoskeletal nor foot problems were participated in gait analyses, wearing four different pairs of shoes in different heel heights. To obtain roll-over shape of foot/ankle complex, we used trajectories of knee and ankle joints as well as the renter of pressure between initial contact and opposite initial contact. Results revealed that the entire roll-over shape moved distally as the heel height increased but roll-over characteristics showed uniformly with different heel heights. In addition, we found that nondisablea persons automatically adapted to their foot/ankle complex to varying heel heights within 6cm, by moving the origin of roll-over shape distally to maintain roll-over characteristics. However, since the balance of the gait only by the ankle joint could not be achieved beyond the heel height of 6cm, compensations at the knee and the hip joints occurred simultaneously. Roll-over characteristics in human walking would provide simpler and wider understanding of human walking, and furthermore could be applied to the wide understanding of prosthetics and orthotics of the lower extremity as well as orthopaedic shoes.

• Korean Journal of Applied Biomechanics
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.771-778
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• 2009

We aimed to determine the effect of heel height on foot pressure by comparing and analyzing data on foot pressure in shoes with different heel heights. Qn the basis of a previous study, we selected 3cm and 7cm as the shoe heel heights preferred by female college students. We divided 10 female students into forefoot and hindfoot to measure vertical force, maximum pressure, and average pressure. The average pressure on the forefoot was higher and that on the hindfoot was lower in the case of 7cm high-heeled shoes. The maximum pressure on the forefoot was significantly higher in the case of the 7cm heel height (p<.05). The vertical force, maximum pressure, and average pressure on the hindfoot were also significantly higher in the case of the 7cm heel height (p<.05). The results showed that wearing 7cm high-heeled shoes exerted greater maximum pressure on the forefoot and greater vertical force, maximum pressure, and average pressure on the Hndfoot. This leads to increase in confining pressure caused by high pressure distribution over the forefoot and increase in the pressure on the hindfoot, which may cause deformation of toes and heel pain over a long period. Therefore, female college students who wish to wear high heels are recommended to wear 3cm high-heeled shoes rather than 7cm high-heeled shoes.

• The Journal of Korean Physical Therapy
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.467-475
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• 2001

The purpose of this study was to evaluate changes of static lumbar lordosis by different heel heights in normal adults and patients with herniation of nucleus pulposus(HNP). The lumbar lordosis was examined while standing on barefoot, on heel support with 4cm heel, and with 8cm heel in 10 normal adults and 10patients with HNP. Standing lumbar lateral view was performed by 20 minutes adaptation with corresponding shoe types. The angle of lumbar lordosis was taken with Wiltse and Winter's method(angles between upper margin of 1 st lumbar body and upper margin of 5th lumbar body). The results of this study were as follow: 1. Significant statistical decrease in lumbar lordosis was observed as heel heights were increased from barefoot to 8cm high heel in normal adults(p<0.05). 2. There were no significant differences in lumbar lordosis according to three different heel heights in patients with HNP(p>0.05). 3. In comparison of barefoot, There were statistically significant decrease in HNP patients compared with normal adults in terms of lumbar lordosis(p<0.05).

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.789-795
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• 2010

This study aimed to investigate the effect of differing heel height on static balance and muscle activation of ankle joint during standing. Twenty-one young females volunteered to participate in this study. To measure balance function and EMG activity of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles, the subjects were asked to perform 1-min standing with eyes open and closed state under 3 different heel heights: barefoot, 3cm, and 7cm each. During the standing, postural sway distance and area, and EMG activity of tibialis anterior and gastrocnemius muscles were significantly augmented with increasing heel height (p<0.05). For comparison between eyes open and closed in terms of postural sway area and EMG activity of tibialis anterior muscle, barefoot and 7cm height conditions respectively showed significant differences as well. The findings indicate that high-heeled shoes may have disadvantages in maintaining balance function because of extra-muscular effort of ankle joint. This study provides useful information that will inform future studies on how heel height affects muscle activity around the ankle joint in aspects of static and dynamic balance.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Physical Medicine
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.85-91
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• 2017

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to compare muscle activation of the trunk and lower limbs of subjects wearing high-heeled or flat shoes while crossing over obstacles of different heights. METHODS: Twenty subjects participated in this study. While wearing high-heeled shoes (7 cm) or flat shoes (0 cm), the subjects were asked to cross over obstacles of different heights (10%, 20%, and 30% of their lower-limb length). Muscle activation of the trunk and lower limbs with the supported side while crossing over obstacles of different heights was measured using the electromyogram (Noraxon, DTS, Germany). Two-way repeated ANOVA was used to compare the muscle activation between high-heel shoes and flat shoes while crossing over obstacles of different heights. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS ver. 21, and p-values less than .05 were used to identify significant differences. RESULTS: As an obstacle's height increased, muscle activation of the trunk and lower limbs with the supported side was increased while wearing either type of shoe, and it was generally higher while wearing high-heeled shoes. However, tibialis anterior muscle activity while wearing high-heeled shoes was lower than while wearing flat shoes. CONCLUSION: This study showed that muscle activation of the trunk and lower limbs was higher when subjects wore high-heeled shoes than when they wore flat shoes while crossing over obstacles of different heights. Therefore, high-heeled shoes can easily cause high muscle fatigue of the trunk and lower limbs, and the TA muscle may weaken in persons who wear high-heeled shoes.

• Journal of the Ergonomics Society of Korea
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• v.32 no.3
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• pp.245-252
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• 2013

Objective: This paper analyzes the changes on stride parameters, joint angles, and trajectories of the body parts due to high heels during walking and explains the causal relationship between the changes and high heels. Background: This study aims to indicate the comprehensive gait changes by high heels on the whole body for women wearing high heels and researchers interested in high-heeled walking. Method: The experiment was designed in which two different shoe heel heights were used for walking (1cm, 9.8cm), and twelve women participated in the test. In the experiment, 35 points on the body were tracked to extract the stride parameters, joint angles, and trajectories of the body parts. Results: Double support time increased, but stride length decreased in high-heeled walking. The knee inflexed more at stance phase and the spine rotation became more severe. The trajectories of the pelvis, the trunk and the head presented outstanding fluctuations in the vertical direction. Conclusion: The double support time and the spine rotation were changed to compensate instability by high heels. Reduced range of motion of the ankle joint influenced on the stride length, the knee flexion, and fluctuations of the body parts. Application: This study can provide an insight of the gait changes by high heels through the entire body.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.815-827
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• 2015

This study analyzes the characteristics by age and type for middle aged and elderly women foot shapes aged 40-69 years. ANOVA, factor, and cluster analyzed middle aged and elderly women's foot shapes. The results of the study are as follows. First, higher age groups tended to have smaller foot lengths, ball/instep circumferences, circumferences, and ball heights with larger heel height values and higher degrees of gathering of toe 1 and toe 5 toward the feet reference axis. Second, foot lengths were 220 mm-240 mm and the ball circumference's size symbol in high frequency sections were distributed from E to EEEE in the 40s and 60s groups and from D to EEEE in the 50s group. Third, eight factors were extracted through the factor analyses of middle aged and elderly women's foot measurement items. Fourth, a cluster analyses classified the subjects into four types. Type 1 is a normal foot type with medium foot length and small ball circumference and type 2 is a long and flat foot type with a type with large foot length and ball circumference values as well as small ball height values. Type 3 is a thick foot type with a medium foot length, large ball circumference, large ball height and type 4 is a toe deformation foot type with medium foot length, small ball circumference, and a high degree of toe gathering toward the center.