ABU DHABI // Lina Hamdan hardly ever wears flat shoes, preferring to hit the town in any one of her more than 50 pairs of high heels.
It is not just because they look better, says the 32-year-old Palestinian, who works for an advertising and public relations firm in the capital. "My feet hurt when I wear flat shoes, unless they're proper running shoes."
She is not alone. A new study has found that women who wear high heels have shorter calf muscles than those who do not - making it painful to walk normally.
The calf muscle fibres were found to be 13 per cent shorter in those who often wear high heels, according to the study, published in the Journal of Experimental Biology.
Researchers led by Professor Marco Narici, at Manchester Metropolitan University in England, took magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of 11 women who had regularly worn heels of 5cm or higher for two years or more, and who said they were uncomfortable in flats.
Dr Niveen el Saleh, a chiropractor and pain management specialist at the California Chiropractic and Sports Medicine Centre in Dubai Healthcare City, said a heel of more than 2cm put strain on a woman's ankles, knees, spine and neck.
"The shortened calf muscles will affect the knees and make them hyper-extend, which means a woman's gait is no longer correct and her knees are too straight to support her," she said.
Walking places a biomechanical force on the ankles and knees that travels to the back and spine.
Wearing heels throws this force out of line, placing pressure on the ankles. They in turn are forced to work harder, causing long-term degeneration of the knees, as well as problems with the lower back.
"Lower back pain is the number one complaint we get as chiropractors, whether in emergency rooms or private clinics," said Dr el Saleh. "Although heels are not the only cause, they are one of the main factors."
Maitha al Romaithy, a 27-year-old Emirati, wears heels even to the mall. They were a must under her abaya, she said.
"Emirati women like to wear high heels and carry nice designer bags to look different from each other, since we are all wearing a black abaya," she said. Despite knowing that her footwear could be storing up long-term problems, Ms al Romaithy has no plans to change.
"It has really just become an automatic thing to reach for a pair of heels when I get dressed and want to look my best," she said.
Dr el Saleh usually tells her patients to choose when and where they wear their high-heeled shoes.
"I like high heels myself," she said, "but I wouldn't wear them if I knew I'd be walking or standing all day. I'd wear them out to dinner, where I'd be sitting more of the time."
Professional women should take off their shoes under their desk, she added. If they have to wear heels during their work day and will be walking a lot, they should make sure the heel is no more than 2cm.
Brintha Wazir, 27, was in Wahda Mall searching for the perfect heels to wear to a wedding next month. The mother of two, from India, does not wear them often, and when she does, they are usually wedges.
"For some occasions, you have to wear heels because it is appropriate, in the way that it is not appropriate for me to run after my children wearing heels all day," she said.
Wedges or platform heels, said Dr el Saleh, were much safer than stilettos. "The thinner the heel, the more damage it can cause," she said.
Ms Hamdan, meanwhile, was unrepentant. "All women look better in heels and what woman doesn't want to look as good as she can manage?" she said.
@Email:hkhalaf@thenational.ae
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
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The Perfect Couple
Starring: Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Jack Reynor
Creator: Jenna Lamia
Rating: 3/5
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Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
The specs
Engine: 2.7-litre 4-cylinder Turbomax
Power: 310hp
Torque: 583Nm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
Price: From Dh192,500
On sale: Now
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
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The Year Earth Changed
Directed by:Tom Beard
Narrated by: Sir David Attenborough
Stars: 4
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
If you go
The flights
Etihad flies direct from Abu Dhabi to San Francisco from Dh5,760 return including taxes.
The car
Etihad Guest members get a 10 per cent worldwide discount when booking with Hertz, as well as earning miles on their rentals. A week's car hire costs from Dh1,500 including taxes.
The hotels
Along the route, Motel 6 (www.motel6.com) offers good value and comfort, with rooms from $55 (Dh202) per night including taxes. In Portland, the Jupiter Hotel (https://jupiterhotel.com/) has rooms from $165 (Dh606) per night including taxes. The Society Hotel https://thesocietyhotel.com/ has rooms from $130 (Dh478) per night including taxes.
More info
To keep up with constant developments in Portland, visit www.travelportland.com. Good guidebooks include the Lonely Planet guides to Northern California and Washington, Oregon & the Pacific Northwest.
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