The effects of increasing heel height on forefoot peak pressure

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of increasing heel height on peak forefoot pressure. Thirty-five women were examined while wearing sneakers and shoes with 2-inch and 3-inch heels. An in-shoe pressure-measurement system was used to document the magnitude and location of plantar peak pressures. Pressure under the forefoot was found to increase significantly with increasing heel height. As the heel height increased, the peak pressure shifted toward the first metatarsal and the hallux. The reproducibility of data obtained with the in-shoe pressure-measurement system was tested in five subjects; the data were found to be reproducible to within approximately 3% of measured pressures.