What Does A Platform Do On A High Heel?

jim102 · May 4, 2015

Hi! I had seen may heels either they are 3.75 inches with a 0.75 Platform, a black pumps with a high of 11 cm and a Platform of 2.5 cm etc...

Does the plateform reduce the weight? Reduce the heel high? Like with that 11 cm it would be high as 9,5 cm ?

More the plateform is high lower i will hurt? 3.5 inches is at least too high for me. Painful. Especially more than 4 inches.

Does a plateform shoe is better than a simple high heel?

I wear a payless karmen pumps witch has 3.15 inches. Just need to put a sole Inside to be very good.

Thank you!

shiva · May 4, 2015

I believe, The more the heel height, the platform will be increased to support walking. Also, platform can behave like a bit cushion for ball of the feet to reduce pain.

Rob · May 4, 2015

An 11cm heel with a 2.5cm platform will bend your foot (& ankles) the same as a 8.5cm heel with no platform. 11 - 2.5 = 8.5

If it is this bend that is causing pain then a platform may help. However a platform multiplies the force on your ankles if you go over on them. Humans balance by subtly adjusting the pressure on each toe to stay upright & stable, so raising your toes off the ground with a platform can make you less stable and more likely to roll your ankles - especially if you are new to heels.

If your pain is in the balls of your feet, then you may need a shoe that supports your arches better. (With no arch support, all your weight goes on the balls of your feet.)

Whilst 3.5 inches may be too high for you now, with practice it will get easier and with time you should be able to go higher in comfort. Wearing heels uses your leg/feet muscles differently to walking in flat shoes. If these muscles aren't used to heels they will ache or hurt. Practice will build muscle strength and flexibility over time. (Women who can wear 4 inch & higher heels in comfort have often taken years to build this skill.) Having well fitting supportive heels will also help.

May 4, 2015

It's all about the angle of the foot.

Just draw a triangle. The hypotenuse is the angle of the foot and the size of the foot.

Now draw a rectangle under the base of t he triangle. The angle of the foot has not changed.

The shoes themselves also make a difference.

I have some very hi heels that are more comfortable than some heels that are lower.

Some of my lower heels can give me a cramp on my outer calf if I walk a lot. I don't know why.

I call heels with platforms cheaters because a lot of the time the overall angle or net gain of the me he heel height is low. IE a heel with a 1in platform and a 4in heel only gives a net gain of 3in.

I always reference my heel height minus any platform.

Chorlini · May 4, 2015

Platforms effectively reduce the real heel height to something that even a toddler can walk in whilst appearing to be what some fashionistas call a killer heel. Plenty of 5 to 6 inch heels are being sold that are no more then 4 inch in height effectively. This makes them very easy to walk in. Which played no small part in why they found widespread acceptance in stripper and porn circles a decade before they found mainstream acceptance.

Because they are at best only 4 inches in height I'm not a big fan of platforms as that is a bit too low for my taste. And that's excluding the fact that some platforms make the foot look like its deformed or something. Platforms that are effectively bigger then 4 inches are extremely rare. They're out there, but they tend to be fetish heels mostly.

jim102 · May 4, 2015

From what I understand it reduces the pains and the height(Finally i`ve got the right word).

If your pain is in the balls of your feet, then you may need a shoe that supports your arches better. (With no arch support, all your weight goes on the balls of your feet.)

Balls?

Platforms effectively reduce the real heel height to something that even a toddler can walk in whilst appearing to be what some fashionistas call a killer heel. Plenty of 5 to 6 inch heels are being sold that are no more then 4 inch in height effectively. This makes them very easy to walk in. Which played no small part in why they found widespread acceptance in stripper and porn circles a decade before they found mainstream acceptance.

Because they are at best only 4 inches in height I'm not a big fan of platforms as that is a bit too low for my taste. And that's excluding the fact that some platforms make the foot look like its deformed or something. Platforms that are effectively bigger then 4 inches are extremely rare. They're out there, but they tend to be fetish heels mostly.

I understand nothing!

What the interest to wear too high if you cannot?

And that thing? What Heels2U mean by gain? 3 inches in less? Some Platform are higher but they are better than certain low heels.

Chorlini · May 5, 2015

From what I understand it reduces the pains and the height(Finally i`ve got the right word).

Balls?

I understand nothing!

What the interest to wear too high if you cannot?

And that thing? What Heels2U mean by gain? 3 inches in less? Some Platform are higher but they are better than certain low heels.

I have no idea as to what you're saying as your English is just not that good.

As for what Heels2U is saying, you take a 3 inch heeled shoe. You add a 1 inch or two inch platform underneath and raise the overall heel height by the same amount. The end result looks bigger, like you're wearing really high heels. But as far as your foot goes you're still wearing a 3 inch heel. That is why he calls platforms cheating.

Histiletto · May 5, 2015

With the shoe standing up-right, measure the perpendicular height of the heel starting at the point the heel joins or meets the upper section of the shoe's back as it stands on the floor. (Depending what high heels you have to measure, the common height could be between a range from about 4 inches to around 6 inches.) Then measure the thickest height of the platform from the floor up. Subtract this platform measurement from the measured height of the heel and this gives you the effective height you would feel while wearing them. Note though: Whatever the platform thickness measures, that created a type of portable surface or plane you are above the actual walking surface.

As an example: I have a pair of Nine West Love Fury Stiletto Platform Pumps. The heel height measures at 4.75 inches (12cm). The greatest platform thickness measures at 11/16 inch (.6875 inch or 1.75cm) So the effective heel height of these shoes is slightly over 4 inches at 10.25cm. However, these pumps only raised my standing height only 2.75 inches, which included the platform measurement. Without the platform measurement these pumps only raised my height a little better than 2 inches. As a side note: 6 inch high heel single sole pumps will only raise your standing height a little less than 3 inches, because the height of the ankle actually determines the rise of your standing height. Above 4 to 4.5 inches the heel height tends to move the ankle more horizontally than up with respect to the surface. So if a person wants to raise their standing height 6 inches, they would have to wear platforms with the thickness of at least 3.25 inches, with the effective heel height of 6 inches. Which means they would have to wear high heels with the heel height of about 9.25 inches and 3.25 inch thick platforms. These measurement were approximations obtained by using the pump sizes of 8.5US to 10US, so the measurement will vary more with other sizes.

As a personal note: I feel platforms should only be used when the maximum limits of your feet sloping have been reached and you want to wear taller heels in satisfying your desire to be taller than the common heels seem to do. However, I do have a number of platforms that would contradict this personal feeling, because they are just as exhilarating to wear also.

jim102 · May 5, 2015

So it is like with the Platform your height is only 2.75 inches? You are taller on a low height heel if I correctly understood. You don`t really feel it is too high. That`s explain Chorlini. It is great! And most of my pants or jeans are long so platforms are great for not having the pants Under the shoes and it gives a great look! So before taking only a shoe with a higher heel you put a Platform shoe before in order to be used. But in my case i do not know the recommended height. I just wear heels during 3 to 6 hours not every day.

Histiletto · May 6, 2015

So it is like with the Platform your height is only 2.75 inches? ***** The key to knowing how much higher the heels you wear causes you to stand is to know how much your ankle raises from its natural flat barefoot position on the floor to the heeled position when wearing the high heels you desire. Put a dot for reference point on your ankle (If you want, use some cloth tape to cover the ankle and put the dot on that, instead of your skin). Measure the distance the dot is from the floor in the barefoot position. Then put on your heels and measure that distance between the dot and the floor. Now subtract the barefoot distance from the heeled distance. This is how much taller you are when wearing these heels. If these heels are platforms, measure the platform where it is thickest. Add the thickness of the platform to the barefoot measurement and then subtract these two from the heeled distance and this will give you how much the heels raise you from the platform level.

You are taller on a low height heel if I correctly understood. ***** To better explain this, I'm going to have you find a mirror that stands on the floor or you can stand it on the floor with the reflective side toward you. You must be barefooted and have no clothing covering your legs below the knees. Now, with some kind of marker make a 8 inch (20cm) grid, noting each inch unit (each 2cm unit) on the mirror so that you can see your foot in the grid. area. Once the grid is done, place your big toe joint at the position in order for the rest of the foot can be seen in the grid. Note where the ankle is and mark that point. Raise the heel of the foot one inch (2cm) and mark the ankle position. Do the same thing for the remaining 7 inch units (9-2cm units) or until your ankle is as high as it will go. It is important that the big toe joint remains at its first point for all measured ankle positions. Having marked all the ankle locations as the heel raised, you now have a better idea of how the height of high heels effects your being taller. Platforms raises you immediately, while heels tend to move the ankle more forward then up after a certain point is reached. With the graph of your ankle positions in the mirror, you have a better idea at what height this horizontal moving ankle positioning becomes more of the factor for you. Any heeled footwear higher than this factored point is more for the feeling than whatever minimal height increase you may get.

jim102 · May 6, 2015

^{I have understood the first explanation you made. The second is problematic and adding the language barrier. So a Mirror on the floor or I can stand it on a wall having the side it gives. In my room I have Mirror doors. With a marker I need to draw a grid of 20 cm. I need to have two cm between each squares for seeing my foot on the grid. (Once the grid is done, place your big toe joint at the position in order for the rest of the foot can be seen in the grid.) Tried to translate that sentence but nothing helped.}

^{I have to note in what square the ankle is. Raise the heel of the foot from two squares and note that. The others hard sentences.}

^{(Do the same thing for the remaining 7 inch units (9-2cm units) or until your ankle is as high as it will go. It is important that the big toe joint remains at its first point for all measured ankle positions. Having marked all the ankle locations as the heel raised, you now have a better idea of how the height of high heels effects your being taller. With the graph of your ankle positions in the mirror, you have a better idea at what height this horizontal moving ankle positioning becomes more of the factor for you. Any heeled footwear higher than this factored point is more for the feeling than whatever minimal height increase you may get.)}

May 6, 2015

If you add a 1in platform and add 1in to the heel nothing changes.

About the only thing that is different is a platform is a much stiffer shoe. There will be less flex from the heel. That can make the shoe a little easier to walk in or at leas t different. The platform does also make them a bit different to walk in too.

That one of the things I love about woman's shoes. They are all different to walk in.

jim102 · May 6, 2015

3.75 inches of heels with a Platform 3/4

I don`t know if I can wear that if I have troubles with 3.5 heel height

I wear a 3.15 inches pair of heels

Histiletto · May 7, 2015

Hey! jim102,

I didn't mean to confuse you. I have the scenario pictured in my mind, but apparently I didn't use the right words to make it clear to you. This is suppose to be a live graph of the ankle placements as the heel of the foot rises from the floor at certain increments.

Once all the horizontal and vertical lines of the 8 inch (20cm) grid have been drawn on the mirror, place your big toe joint on the floor in front of the mirror to be seen centered on the vertical zero line with the bottom of the foot being seen setting on the zero horizontal line. If needed, put another dot on the center of the big toe joint and make sure it does not move from the vertical zero line with the bottom of the big toe joint staying on horizontal zero line. Also, put a dot on the rear of the heel close to the bottom of the foot so that it can still be seen in the mirror.

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Mark where the ankle dot is seen in the mirror with the foot being seen setting on the horizontal zero line. Now raise the heel dot to the 1 inch level and mark the ankle dot position. Next, raise the heel dot to the 2 inch level and mark the ankle dot position. Continue raising the heel dot to the next levels and marking the ankle dot position at each of these levels, until the ankle dot is at the zero vertical line.

You have just plotted how the ankle raises at different high heel heights. Notice when the foot was flat on the horizontal line, the ankle dot was already between 3 to 4 inch horizontal level and the 5 to 6 inch column vertically. With the first few measurement positions the ankle ascended more vertically. Then in the latter positions the ankle hardly rose much at all but the horizontal movement was more involved. What was total distance your ankle vertically moved?

When wearing platforms your zero level starts at the top of the thickness. So, with a .75 inch platform and a 3.75 inch high heel, the heel of your foot is only raised 3 inches. Using what you just plotted on the mirrored grid, your ankle wasn't raised the full 3 inches (but close). Should you wear a 4 inch heel with a 1 inch platform, the rise would be the same. With 5.5 inch high heels and 2 inch platforms, your effective heel height is 3.5 inches. What is your ankle dot measurement when your heel dot is at the 3.5 inch level? So, even though the platforms raise your body 2 inches, your ankle is only raised approximately 2.5 inches, which means your total height increase is about 4.5 inch. Had there not been a platform with the 5.5 inch high heels, your increase of body height would have been under 3 inches, but the severe sloping situation your feet would be experiencing might be too excessive to wear with out some serious practice/training. Some people find this type of excessive height is beyond their limitations to master, but you won't know unless you have the desire and worth giving it an adequate effort. Hope this exercise in math has helped clear the miss understandings. If not, let's give it another shot.

PS: This exercise could have been accomplished by using graph paper and taking/recording measurements, but it seemed more interesting to see the actual movements of the ankle as the heel of the foot rises.

jim102 · May 7, 2015

When wearing platforms your zero level starts at the top of the thickness. So, with a .75 inch platform and a 3.75 inch high heel, the heel of your foot is only raised 3 inches. Using what you just plotted on the mirrored grid, your ankle wasn't raised the full 3 inches (but close). Should you wear a 4 inch heel with a 1 inch platform, the rise would be the same. With 5.5 inch high heels and 2 inch platforms, your effective heel height is 3.5 inches. What is your ankle dot measurement when your heel dot is at the 3.5 inch level? So, even though the platforms raise your body 2 inches, your ankle is only raised approximately 2.5 inches, which means your total height increase is about 4.5 inch. Had there not been a platform with the 5.5 inch high heels, your increase of body height would have been under 3 inches, but the severe sloping situation your feet would be experiencing might be too excessive to wear with out some serious practice/training.

Forget that math thing and the grid I am not familiar with inches etc..

So it is like with the Platform your height is only 2.75 inches? ***** The key to knowing how much higher the heels you wear causes you to stand is to know how much your ankle raises from its natural flat barefoot position on the floor to the heeled position when wearing the high heels you desire. Put a dot for reference point on your ankle (If you want, use some cloth tape to cover the ankle and put the dot on that, instead of your skin). Measure the distance the dot is from the floor in the barefoot position. Then put on your heels and measure that distance between the dot and the floor. Now subtract the barefoot distance from the heeled distance. This is how much taller you are when wearing these heels. If these heels are platforms, measure the platform where it is thickest. Add the thickness of the platform to the barefoot measurement and then subtract these two from the heeled distance and this will give you how much the heels raise you from the platform level.

But I understand your two paragraphes. With the heels i want:

http://www.ebay.ca/itm/SOFFT-SZ-9-5-M-BLACK-LEATHER-PLATFORM-PUMPS-HEELS-DRESS-SHOES/151664626014?_trksid=p2045573.c100033.m2042&_trkparms=aid%3D111001%26algo%3DREC.SEED%26ao%3D1%26asc%3D20141121090453%26meid%3Df10fb7ce12544c7d9b2710992baf1028%26pid%3D100033%26rk%3D1%26rkt%3D2%26sd%3D151664626014

I will feel a 3 inches of height and I actually wear 3.15 inches. Lower than my actual heels lol! I should be ok.

vector · May 9, 2015

One thing I've noticed about platforms, is that they are less forgiving on pebbles/uneven ground than non-platform shoes.

What is an inconvenience in single sole shoes can be a twisted ankle on platform shoes.

Pierre1961 · February 9, 2020

Very interesting!

i was wondering if any here were concerned with the real heel height

And obviously many had already given perfect explanations.

just to explain what the reason of my researches is :

1/ a little bit fed up with “ I wear 6 inches heel everyday “ and if you have the opportunity to check the shoe have a 2 inches platform!

That’s a 4 inches heel!

I wish people could say I wear 5 inches only if the difference in between toes and heel is 5 inches.And it’s already a challenge

And i even don’t mention that a 5 inches heel is very heigh for a W6 US and not such a big deal for a W13 !

2 / I was curious and measured my height without and with heels. What a surprise!

With 5 inches heels the real height increase is only 3,5 real inches! That is logical and has been perfectly explained here by several members.Personally ,that’s ok because being already 6 feet tall, no need to be 6’5”

Cali · February 9, 2020

I'm concern with the difference between platform and heel. I NEED at least 3.5 inches and can easily wear up to a 4.75 inches difference. I think my platform heels are easier on my feet compared to thin single sole heels.

Pierre1961 · February 9, 2020

I need 5 inches difference and prefer single soles !

interesting! Isn’t it?

mlroseplant · February 10, 2020

What an old thread that lives again!

I never thought I'd say this, but I actually prefer a platform of 1/2 - 1". Some of my favorite shoes have about a 5 1/2" heel with a 1" platform. I like the look of the super tall heel, but there is no way I could negotiate everyday life in 5 1/2" heels and a single sole. On the other hand, I hate "flatforms." That is, shoes with a very thick platform and not very much steepness. In my opinion, the thicker the platform, the steeper the angle has to be in order to keep it from looking funny. Most "stripper" shoes do not pass my personal aesthetics test because their heel to platform ratio is not high enough.

Pierre1961 · February 10, 2020

Totally agreed. Also hate these thick platforms and no steepness

it seems I am lucky enough to walk in 5’5’’ easily. Anyway i don’t know what you mean with negotiating everyday life. If it is walking 5 hours on uneven sidewalk,then I can’t neither

Jkrenzer · February 10, 2020

4 hours ago, Pierre1961 said:

Totally agreed. Also hate these thick platforms and no steepness.

Agreed 100%. I have a few thinner platforms, never more than 1/2 thick. Myself, prefer 5 inch single soles. Also like the flex of single sole heels, i find them far more comfortable and easier to walk. Doesn't mean i don't have some great fitting platforms, just did a trip in some ankle boots that way.

Cali · February 10, 2020

5 hours ago, Pierre1961 said:

negotiating everyday life

For me negotiating everyday life is 14 hour days walking in heels. My heels need to stay comfortable the whole time!

CAT · February 10, 2020

I have both single soles and platforms. I do like both. What drives which one to wear depends on the outfit. Leather miniskirt and fishnets 5 or 6” single sole is the heel of choice. Other longer skirts leggings, or jeans I will go to platforms with a 5-7” heel. Depends on the event or item as well.

I am a bit of a hiatus right now as I am doing physical therapy for my left knee total replacement and am heading to the right total knee replacement in 3 weeks. Hoping to be back in heels by May 1,,, that’s the goal at this point in time. Hoping to be in my 6” single soles again for the summer!!!

Pierre1961 · February 10, 2020

You will! Be confident!

Makes sense @Cali

14 hours is a lot! no question having uncomfortable shoes

4,8 to 5” is my maximum if it has to happen to me. Not often but sometimes

Then it is a wonderful day

Same as you @Jkrenzer!

mlroseplant · February 11, 2020

16 hours ago, CAT said:

I have both single soles and platforms. I do like both. What drives which one to wear depends on the outfit. Leather miniskirt and fishnets 5 or 6” single sole is the heel of choice. Other longer skirts leggings, or jeans I will go to platforms with a 5-7” heel. Depends on the event or item as well.

I am a bit of a hiatus right now as I am doing physical therapy for my left knee total replacement and am heading to the right total knee replacement in 3 weeks. Hoping to be back in heels by May 1,,, that’s the goal at this point in time. Hoping to be in my 6” single soles again for the summer!!!

I wish you a speedy and successful recovery. May 1st should be just in time to wear all them short skirts without freezing half to death!

22 hours ago, Pierre1961 said:

Totally agreed. Also hate these thick platforms and no steepness

it seems I am lucky enough to walk in 5’5’’ easily. Anyway i don’t know what you mean with negotiating everyday life. If it is walking 5 hours on uneven sidewalk,then I can’t neither

What I mean by "negotiating life" is being able to walk normally from Point A to Point B in a reasonable amount of time without looking like an idiot. At the present time, I can't do that in 5 inch single soles. Can I physically walk in them? Sure, but I do not like the way I look walking in them. I have no grace in them. The limitation for me is ankle flexibility. I'm Size 9/39.

jetheelsfan · February 11, 2020

Fir me a platform of a 1/4" to 1/2" can be just as elegant as a single sole shoe. When it gets any thicker than 1", they take on the appearance of wearing a "brick" and lose the elegance factor. Many of the platforms take on the appearance of some of the orthopedic footwear used to equalize the length of legs due to a dreaded disease of my very early years --- polio

maninpumps · February 11, 2020

WOW , this is an old post topic .

mlroseplant · February 12, 2020

11 hours ago, maninpumps said:

WOW , this is an old post topic .

Funny about that. Usually, when somebody does that, you sort of groan (and maybe out loud at the computer), but in this case, it has actually worked out rather well.

I can remember back in the Jenny days (before HHP existed, circa 2000) that if you admitted you liked platforms it was like admitting you were tacky. People were vehemently against platforms at that time. Of course, that's probably because what was available before the height explosion of the 2000s wasn't particularly attractive in any way. Ten years later, in 2010, platforms were everywhere, and many of them became lighter and trimmer, though many did not. My point is that we got used to them somewhat, and they didn't seem nearly as evil as they did before. I suppose it's like anything else that's trendy. It will eventually fade, and probably come back a few decades later. Kind of like this post.

maninpumps · February 12, 2020

2 hours ago, mlroseplant said:

Funny about that. Usually, when somebody does that, you sort of groan (and maybe out loud at the computer), but in this case, it has actually worked out rather well.

Actually , I was referring to the dates some of the posts already made . May 3 , 2015

There have been so many pro - platform and anti - platform arguments in here Once there was an individual even calling them jack stands . For the record , I have always been pro - platform with a wedge . When my heel journey started ( 1970's ) it was platform wedges cause that's what was available to me . I tried the single soled heels and they were just flimsy in MY opinion . So, I stuck with what worked for me .

Indeed , it's all about what's trending and I would also like to add Classic . We all like the Classic pump and it's never gone out of style . I even have a few but, mine have the platform wedge under them .

Oh , I never fuss at the computer . :wink:

Edited February 12, 2020 by maninpumps

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