Force patterns of heel strike and toe off on different heel heights in normal walking

This study investigated the changes of force patterns of the heel strike and toe off phases at different heel heights during normal walking. Ten healthy female college students wore running shoes, flat leather shoes and high heeled shoes while walking on a Kistler force platform at their self-comfortable paces. It was found that the high heeled shoes and the leather shoes generated significantly greater vertical impact forces and anterior-posterior forces in the toe off phase than those in the heel strike phase. Accumulated impulses did not show significant increase while the heel heights increased and total support time while wearing the high heeled shoes was significantly longer than while wearing the running shoes.