72% of women wear high-heeled shoes and 39% wear high-heeled shoes on a daily basis. American Podiatric Medical

 By Celeste McLaughlin, BA, CEOE, CDMS, CPDM

High heels are “Sitting Shoes”
Don’t worry, this is not an ergonomics lecture on the risks of wearing high heels. We are not even going to tell you to stop wearing them. Instead, let’s think of them in a different way. High heels are sitting shoes.

Heel height and comfort in the work place
If you are going to be doing a lot of walking or standing, a 1″ heel is about as high as most doctors will recommend. If you are planning on wearing heels higher than 1″, it’s a good idea to have an extra pair of lower heeled shoes with you. Having a pair of low heeled shoes in your desk drawer or in a shoe box under your desk will work.

Ergonomics tips for your work station set up
It’s important to make sure your keyboard surface height, chair height, and monitor height are always correct.

If you wear different heel heights on different days or sometimes don’t wear heels at all, a quick way to adjust your workstation is to set the workstation up for when you are wearing heels and use a footrest for when you wear flats. That way your legs won’t dangle when you are wearing flats.

Tips for height adjustable desk work
If you use a height adjustable desk it’s recommended to wear a 1″ or lower heeled pair of shoes with a blockier heel while using the desk standing. Stillettos are harder on your body and will also negatively affect your ability to balance. It is an option to wear heels while sitting at your desk and then switch to a lower heeled pair of shoes when standing at your desk.

We here at Solutions Northwest hope these ergonomics tips help you work in comfort. For more, subscribe to our newsletter or contact one of our experts today!