It may be time to follow in Barbie’s footsteps and say goodbye to those horribly painful stilettos.
High heel-related injuries have doubled between 2002 and 2012, according to a new study published in The Journal of Foot and Ankle Surgery. In 2002, there were 7,097 related injuries for women in the U.S.; in 2012, there were 14,140.
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The research from the University of Alabama at Birmingham states that an estimated 123,355 high heel injuries were treated in emergency rooms across the United States between that 10-year span. The data was collected from the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s Electronic Injury Surveillance System.
According to the study, such injuries are most likely to happen to women between the ages of 20 and 39. Towering shoes can "reduce ankle muscle movement, stop length, total range of movement, and balance control" -- not to mention the damage to your toenails, knees, lower back and possible nerve damage.
One of the most interesting parts of the research is where the injuries occur; it's not always a fancy night out. Nearly half the injuries occurred in the home, "which really supports the idea of wearing the right footwear for the right occasion and setting," stated the study's lead investigator.
An easy test: Walk around in your heels before going out. While doing so is questionable unless you're Regina George's mother, if you can't walk in your favorite pair of pumps in the comfort of your own home, it may be time to retire them for good. Safety -- not to mention comfort -- first, people.