Floor damage - low vs high heels

[Himark]

A few weeks ago there was a similar thread in the gals only section, but I thought I'd raise the subject again. We just had a visit from my sister, and after she left we were surprised to see some marks and dents on our floors from her heels. She was wearing kitten heels, only about an inch and a half high but with a tip as small as most stillettos. We had never noticed any damage from much higher stilleto heels so I thought about it a bit and did a few calculations. With a higher heel, more of the wearer's weight is tranferred to the ball of the foot, so there is less weight on the heel. When I stand in 5" heels, I notice that it takes very little effort to raise my heels off the floor, because there just isn't much weight on the heels. Let's assume that with flats or kitten heels, approximately 80% of the body weight is on the heels. With 3" heels, there might be 50% on the heels. With 4" heels, I would guess that 70% is on the ball of the foot and 30% on the heels, and with 5" heels, I'd guess that the ratio is 80%/20%. I know these are only rough estimates, but they are good enough to illustrate the point. My wife, who weighs around 140 lbs., wearing 3" heels, would put 140x.5= 70 lbs weight on the heel. With a 4" heel, that would drop to 140x.3= 42 lbs. If I weigh 190 lbs., then I would put 57 lbs. weight on a 4" heel, and only 38 lbs on a 5" heel. But my sister, who is lighter than either of us at 130 lbs., puts a whopping 104 lbs on her 1.5" kitten heels! Amazing when you do the math!

[new_look]

hence why often in the street u hear a loud click click click, turning round to expect a pair of high high stilettos, only to see a girl clicking along in a pair of virtually flat courts with some sort of heel. the lower heels are louder!

[Tech]

Holy crap.... Thats an excellent point you make here Himark.... I'm about to lay all new wooden floors in my new house so I think its going to be a total ban on any pointy heels in the house anywhere... Total bummer I know but when you look at the cost of flooring, and more importantly, how damn difficult it is to fix wooden floors once they are glued in place, its not worth the bother... I would guess that anything thats 2inches or less probably still has 100% of the bodyweight on the heel I could of course impose a 6" or higher only rule for any heels entering the house

[admirer5577]

Let's assume that with flats or kitten heels, approximately 80% of the body weight is on the heels. With 3" heels, there might be 50% on the heels. With 4" heels, I would guess that 70% is on the ball of the foot and 30% on the heels, and with 5" heels, I'd guess that the ratio is 80%/20%. I know these are only rough estimates, but they are good enough to illustrate the point.

Amazing when you do the math!

I believe your calculation is correct, as long as you are standing still. But when you are walkning you start by putting down the heel first and even though you don't put full weight on it at first I think the pressure from the heel will be much higher than the 20-30% you calculate when standing still.

I have put in new wooden floor in most of my house a year ago but to prevent all this marks to it I have put carpets where it fits. Where there is no carpet I tip-toe.

In the two smaller rooms I still have an older wooden flooring and there are plenty of marks to it, especially around the dorr ways where you pass the most.

People have asked about all this mars on just these floors and I blame poor quality and being un-carfeul with them when I renovated the parts of the house that now also got new wooden flooring.

[Firefox]

People will often stand oin one foot or even put the weight on the heel to take the pressure of the toes. Thereforem standing I don't think the height will matter. What really matters is the area of the heel. A 6mm square heel exerts more than twice as much pressure as a 9mm square heel for the same weight of wearer.

[Himark]

That's true. I realize that the heel loading can change with the way someone stands. Of course, the area of the heel tip makes a huge difference, but my point was that some kitten heels have a very small tip, just as small as most stilletos. Also, metal heel tips are far more damaging than plastic.

[niceboots]

i have 2'' heels i see the same thing even on carpet

[Himark]

Another thought - Richie, if you are redoing your floors, have you considered one of the new laminate surfaces as an alternative to hardwood. They look very much like wood (sometimes better) but allegedly the laminates are tougher and resist wear and heel marks better than hardwood. Our floors had already been redone in hardwood when we bought this place, but if I were doing them now, I think I'd go for the laminate flooring.

[chris100575]

I have laminate flooring and my metal-tipped stilettos have not marked it. They are very loud on it though! Chris

[Tech]

Another thought - Richie, if you are redoing your floors, have you considered one of the new laminate surfaces as an alternative to hardwood. They look very much like wood (sometimes better) but allegedly the laminates are tougher and resist wear and heel marks better than hardwood.

Our floors had already been redone in hardwood when we bought this place, but if I were doing them now, I think I'd go for the laminate flooring.

Erm, nooo, its not even a factor....

I would never put footwear over having a nice home... Engineered wooden floors are far better than "laminate" but anyway, not meaning to go off topic, but I would never reconsider how I build my house or decorate it to suit a pair of shoes, thats just nuts... (IMHO)

[Guy N. Heels]

Erm, nooo, its not even a factor....

I would never put footwear over having a nice home... Engineered wooden floors are far better than "laminate" but anyway, not meaning to go off topic, but I would never reconsider how I build my house or decorate it to suit a pair of shoes, thats just nuts... (IMHO)

Ancient custom to remove shoe before entering house: keeps foors neat and house clean. This especially true for high heeled shoe.

[metalspikes]

That's true. I realize that the heel loading can change with the way someone stands.

Very true. A related factor is in how well the shoes are "balanced," this having to do with the shape of the arch and other things. I've had many pairs of 5" heels that were easier to stand and walk in, and created far less ankle and leg strain, than much lower heels. I also recently bought some 3/4 arch-support insoles that improve the balance of any court shoes in which they are placed. I find that, regardless of heel height, the more stable and better balanced they are, and the more arch and ankle support they provide, the more my weight winds up focused on the heels. My highest, for example, are a pair of K523 lace-up oxfords with 5.5" heels from Leatherworks. They are balanced such that most of my weight winds up on the heels.

Of course, the area of the heel tip makes a huge difference,

Probably the single greatest difference.

but my point was that some kitten heels have a very small tip, just as small as most stilletos.

I had always thought that this was the definition of "kitten" heels-- stilettos of 2" and under?

Also, metal heel tips are far more damaging than plastic.

Of course they are! That's more than half the reason for wearing them!