This study investigated the changes of force patterns of the heel strike an
d toe off phases at different heel heights during normal walking. Ten healt
hy female college students wore running shoes, flat leather shoes and high
heeled shoes while walking on a Kistler force platform at their self-comfor
table paces. It was found that the high heeled shoes and the leather shoes
generated significantly greater vertical impact forces and anterior-posteri
or forces in the toe off phase than those in the heel strike phase. Accumul
ated impulses did not show significant increase while the heel heights incr
eased and total support time while wearing the high heeled shoes was signif
icantly longer than while wearing the running shoes.