Background: High-heeled shoes can change spinal alignment and feet movement, which leads to muscle fatigue and discomfort in lumbopelvic region, legs, and feet while walking.
Objects: This study aimed to identify the effects of different shoe heel heights on the walking velocity and electromyographic (EMG) activities of the lower leg muscles during short- and long-distance walking in young females.
Methods: Fifteen young females were recruited in this study. The experiments were performed with the following two different shoe heel heights: 0 ㎝ and 7 ㎝. All participants underwent an electromyographic procedure to measure the activities and fatigue levels of the tibialis anterior (TA), medial gastrocnemius (MG), rectus femoris (RF), and hamstring muscles with each heel height during both short- and long-distance walking. The walking velocities were measured using the short-distance (10-m walk) and long-distance (6-min walk) walking tests.
Results: Significant interaction effects were found between heel height and walking distance conditions for the EMG activities and fatigue levels of TA and MG muscles, and walking velocity (p<.05). The walking velocity and activities of the TA, MG, and RF muscles appeared to be significantly different between the 0 ㎝ and 7 ㎝ heel heights during both short- and long-distance walking (p<.05). Significant difference in the fatigue level of the MG muscle were found between the 0 ㎝ and 7 ㎝ heel heights during long-distance walking. In addition, walking velocity and the fatigue level of the MG muscle at the 7 ㎝ heel height revealed significant differences in the comparison of short- and long-distance walking (p<.05).
Conclusion: These findings indicate that higher shoe heel height leads to a decrease in the walking velocity and an increase in the activity and fatigue level of the lower leg muscles, particularly during long-distance walking.

Abstract
 Ⅰ. 서론
 Ⅱ. 연구방법
  1. 연구대상자
  2. 근전도 측정 및 자료 처리
  3. 보행속도의 평가
  4. 실험 절차
  4. 자료 분석 및 통계 방법
 Ⅲ. 결과
 Ⅳ. 고찰
 Ⅴ. 결론
 References

• 오덕원(청주대학교 보건의료과학대학 물리치료학과) | Duck-won Oh (Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Medical Science, Cheongju University) Corresponding author