High Heels and the Brazilian Women: a research

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Results

This research, “High Heels and Brazilian Women,” had the participation of 1,835 women of all ages, from young adults to the elderly, from all over Brazil. They answered a questionnaire with 90 questions.

On average, Brazilian women have 7.4 pairs of high-heeled shoes. 36% of the respondents have more than 10 pairs, and 87.5% of women wear them for parties and events. 44.9% wear high-heeled shoes 1 to 5 times a month.

The frequency of use varies between weekends and weekdays. During the week, the periods of use are longer.

53% of Brazilian women indicated that they wear high-heeled shoes for less time than they would like. 80.1% indicated that pain is the main reason for not wearing high-heeled shoes for longer.

The height of the heels most worn by the respondents varies according to age group. As age advances, the heel size decreases. Women up to 20 years old (43.2%) prefer to wear heels above 8.5 cm.

For social events, stiletto heels were the preferred style for 24.8% of women. Platform heels came in second place with 23.3%, and square heels with 13.4%. For everyday wear, the preferred style is the wedge heel with 32.8%, followed by square heels with 16.9%.

The preference for a straight heel versus a curved heel is indicated by 25% of women. Surprisingly, elderly women prefer the straight shape, which exerts more pressure on the forefoot than the curved shape.

Women enjoy buying high-heeled shoes. 73.2% have bought at least one pair in the last 90 days. 28.2% have bought 3 pairs or more. 70.7% of women usually pay about R$ 199.00 or less per pair of high-heeled shoes.

The price paid increases according to the respondents’ income and age. There is no interest in paying much more for the high-heeled shoe of their dreams.

69.6% of women indicated that they wear sheer stockings with their high-heeled shoes. Pantyhose represents 69.2% of the use of stockings.

95.7% of women experience foot pain when wearing high-heeled shoes. The median intensity of pain is 5 (moderate) on a scale of 1 to 10. 25.3% of respondents said they experience severe pain (7 to 10).

62.1% of women who experience foot pain when wearing high-heeled shoes cannot stand for more than 2 hours without feeling pain. 100% of women who reported experiencing pain indicated pain in some bone of the metatarsal region (forefoot). 75% of women who experience pain when wearing high-heeled shoes also experience pain when wearing flat shoes.

The following practices were mentioned to minimize the pain: elevating the feet (32.7%), stretching the feet (16.3%), widening the shoe (13.4%). Despite all respondents indicating that they would be willing to pay an average of only R$ 98.00 to eliminate their pain.

In addition to pain, 59.4% of women indicated tingling in their feet.

46.7% of women also reported ankle pain due to wearing high-heeled shoes. The median value of pain is 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 (moderate).

37.6% of women also reported knee pain due to wearing high-heeled shoes. The median value of pain is 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 (moderate).

44.8% of women also reported back pain due to wearing high-heeled shoes, which worsens with age. The median value of pain is 4 on a scale of 1 to 10 (moderate).