The objectives of this study were to investigate whether heel height changes in the U.S. market occur in a cyclical pattern and heel heights show greater within-year variability over time. Heel height data from U.S. Vogue’s spring and fall editions were analyzed over the time period 1950~2014. A total of 1581 pieces of data were measured in millimeter units using Adobe Illustrator and standardized by dividing the height of the heel by the shoe length through the curved sole line. To analyze the cycle pattern of heel heights, the yearly averages were standardized by using three-year moving average technique to average out the irregular components of time series data and give a better indication of the long-term fluctuation of heel height. To identify the degree of within-year variability of heel height, the standard deviation of the average measurements for a year was calculated, and then decade averages were drawn from the yearly averaged standard deviation. One-way ANOVA was conducted to compare the within-year variability of data in heel height over the time period studied by decade. The results showed: First, there was a trend toward higher heels from the early 1950s to 2011. Second, four cyclical movements of heel height were observed from 1950 to 2007, and heel heights gradually decreased after 2008. Third, the within-year variability significantly increased over time, especially after the 1980s.

This study was conducted to identify the effects of high-heel shoes on EMG activities of rectus femoris and biceps femoris in 28 healthy women. Subjects were composed of experimental group (wearing high-heel shoes) and control group (wearing low-heel shoes). Two groups participated in three conditions standing (bare foot wearing athletic shoes and 7.5 cm height shoes). In high-heel shoes condition, EMG activities of rectus femoris of control group were significantly lower than that of biceps femoris of experimental group, but EMG activities of both muscles of experimental group did not should significant difference. In bare foot standing condition, EMG activities of rectus femoris of experimental group were significantly lower than that of biceps femoris but EMG activities of both muscles of control group had no significant difference. These results showed that hamstring lengthening effects was produced when wearing high-heel shoes because the external knee extension moment was increased. In the short term, high-heel shoes effect on the increase of the biceps femoris activities by spindle reflex, but in the long term, the normal amplitude of the same muscle activities by Golgi tendon organ reflex.