High heels are the shoes everybody loves, but no one wants to wear.
“I think most people would (assume) wearing high heels is a bad idea (because of the pain),” the Washington Post’s Gretchen Reynolds told WTMJ. But according to a new study, wearing high heels may prove beneficial.
Wearing high heels can help someone walk more efficiently, per the study by the University of Texas, cited in Reynolds’ YOUR MOVE column.
Scientists recruited a group of women and men, and put them in high heel Chuck Taylor sneakers.
“The study checked how much energy these people needed to walk on a treadmill,” Reynolds said. “It turns out after wearing heels for several months, (the subjects) could walk more efficiently. They could use less energy to go the same speed. That means you can walk longer and faster, while using less energy.”
Walking in heels shortened calf muscles and stiffened the Achilles’ heel, prompting changes in how the subjects walked.
Ultimately, the study could prove helpful to people who struggle with mobility issues, the study said.
“That includes older people, who often find walking to be difficult,” explained Reynolds. “If you can make it feel easier, they may be able to walk longer. Same goes for someone who may be out of shape.”
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