Modification of high-heeled shoes to decrease pronation during gait.

One of the reasons that high heels may contribute to the formation of halux valgus is that the wearers pronate during propulsion. This pilot study was performed to determine whether relocation of the heel under the counter of a fashion high-heeled pump could change the degree of pronation of the foot during the gait cycle. The authors report that more foot stability was experienced by the subjects when the center of the heel was offset between 2 and 4 mm medial to the center of the heel counter. This study is designed to promote further research into whether the shoe industry should change the design parameters of high-heeled fashion shoes in order to improve foot function.