Wearing high heels with an appropriate height is protective for pelvic floor function.

Background: Wearing high-heeled shoes is a common phenomenon among women. However, the association between wearing high heels and pelvic floor function is largely unknown. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of wearing different height shoes on pelvic floor function and to analyze the influencing factors.

Methods: This was a population-based, cross-sectional study performed in general hospitals with a pelvic floor subspecialty in some cities of China. All participants completed a Urogenital Distress Inventory (UDI-6) questionnaire that consisted of demographic data, information about wearing shoes, and information about pelvic floor function (UDI-6). One-way ANOVA was carried out to compare the differences among 4 groups according to the heel height (<3, 3-5, 5-7, and >7 cm groups). Multivariate logistic regression was performed to identify the factors influencing the effect of wearing 3-5 cm high-heeled shoes on pelvic floor function.

Results: In total, 1,263 participants finished the questionnaire and full data were collected. The 4 groups were comparable for clinical data, and participants who wore 3-5 cm high-heeled shoes had the lowest UDI-6 scores. Multivariate analysis revealed that the number of hours (≥8 h) wearing high heels per day and the thickness diameter (≥3 cm) of the heel were important factors affecting the protective effect of wearing 3-5 cm high-heeled shoes on pelvic floor function.

Conclusions: Wearing heeled shoes with a 3-5 cm heel height and ≥3 cm thickness for a long period of time is good for the pelvic floor function of women.