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The High Heel Problem

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Re: The High Heel Problem

#31

Post by nvahalik »

Not only do heels modify someone's height, they also modify the range of motion for doing something like squatting down.

For kids this isn't a problem, they can squat all the way down without issue. But as an adult, regaining that lost mobility is a process!

But, try this: elevate your heels by an inch. Then try 2 inches. You'll find that you can more comfortably squat down the more your heels are elevated. It also impacts center of balance and the angles at which your back is at while squatting.

Re: The High Heel Problem

#32

Post by codingbot3000 »

crazygringo wrote: post #29
littlestymaar wrote: post #27

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy did the same. It's quite fascinating to me that you can become so powerful while having such a lame insecurity at the same time.

If they do it in private, then yes you might call it a lame insecurity. If they do it only at public events where they're constantly being photographed in groups of people, it's smart image control. A leader is a symbol, and different height differences project different messages visually. That doesn't mean you need to be the tallest, but being the shortest in every photo may give voters a perception that works again…

"smart image control"

No, it's just plain insecure and ridiculous. And the ridiculousness actually hurts their image.

Re: The High Heel Problem

#34

Post by bobthepanda »

nvahalik wrote: post #31

Not only do heels modify someone's height, they also modify the range of motion for doing something like squatting down. For kids this isn't a problem, they can squat all the way down without issue. But as an adult, regaining that lost mobility is a process! But, try this: elevate your heels by an inch. Then try 2 inches. You'll find that you can more comfortably squat down the more your heels are elevated. It also i…

There are weightlifting shoes with an elevated heel for this reason

Re: The High Heel Problem

#35

Post by addaon »

swiftcoder wrote: post #21
defrost wrote: post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The physical world stiletto shoe challenge rests on the engineering of the "shank and heel" piece, the actual heel and the weight supporting shank that arcs under the foot between the in and outsole. These can be steel, titanium, thick plastic, etc. The integrity and trustworthiness of the stiletto relies on these often very thin pieces staying undeformed and rigid wrt each other despite human mass scale forces bendi…

The other (often neglected) challenge is having flooring materials that stand up to a few million pascals of pressure concentrated under that tiny heel. They'll often punch holes right through pre-war parquet flooring, or the bottom of a small wooden boat - yachtsman watch for stilettos like hawks

Yeah, this is a major design point for commercial aircraft interiors, and handling the point loads often favors materials like foam-core composites that usually lose out to e.g. honeycomb core composites on most other performance figures.

Re: The High Heel Problem

#36

Post by Nullabillity »

littlestymaar wrote: post #27
samcheng wrote: post #12

The skeleton discussion reminded me of this real-life analysis of Vladimir Putin's high heels: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lY6lHjZjYXE

Former French president Nicolas Sarkozy did the same. It's quite fascinating to me that you can become so powerful while having such a lame insecurity at the same time.

Meh. Let's maybe focus on the plenty of actually heinous stuff Putin has done (and continues to do) instead of psychoanalyzing and vilifying a slightly eccentric fashion choice?

I wear heels daily (because I like them and find them comfortable - no problems with my height with or without them), and I strongly doubt that that's going to turn me into a tyrannical world leader any time soon.

Re: The High Heel Problem

#37

Post by Tagbert »

bobthepanda wrote: post #34
nvahalik wrote: post #31

Not only do heels modify someone's height, they also modify the range of motion for doing something like squatting down. For kids this isn't a problem, they can squat all the way down without issue. But as an adult, regaining that lost mobility is a process! But, try this: elevate your heels by an inch. Then try 2 inches. You'll find that you can more comfortably squat down the more your heels are elevated. It also i…

There are weightlifting shoes with an elevated heel for this reason

Now I'm imagining burly weight lifters in stiletto heels.

Re: The High Heel Problem

#39

Post by AStonesThrow »

nvahalik wrote: post #31

Not only do heels modify someone's height, they also modify the range of motion for doing something like squatting down. For kids this isn't a problem, they can squat all the way down without issue. But as an adult, regaining that lost mobility is a process! But, try this: elevate your heels by an inch. Then try 2 inches. You'll find that you can more comfortably squat down the more your heels are elevated. It also i…

I read once that people in a certain country were accustomed to doing work in a squat position, perhaps due to lack of chairs/seats for the poor, but I thought it was cool after being forced into a chair/desk posture for my entire life. I've also heard that catchers in baseball retire because their knees give out after the constant squat/crouch position, catching pitches at home plate. Should catchers wear high heels? Got to watch "A League of Their Own" again...
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