Suffering for fashion

[00:00.36] Many believe high heels make women look good.

[00:03.12] It's no surprise that the Cannes Film Festival's organisers seem to favour having stars walking up the red carpet in them.

[00:10.63] But all this glam comes at a cost: wearing heels over 10cm high can damage your ankles.

[00:17.65] A study by the Hanseo University in South Korea suggests that continuous wearing exposes women to the risk of strains and makes them prone to losing their balance.

[00:29.93] A total of 40 women who wear high heels at least three times a week took part in the study.

[00:35.70] The strength of their ankles was measured regularly and two of the four main muscles became dominant after a period of between one and three years.

[00:44.71] It created an imbalance in their feet.

[00:47.97] Dr Yong-Seok Jee from Hanseo University said that the habit of wearing heels can result in deformed feet, back pain and unhealthy walking patterns.

[00:58.25] He recommends women limit the use of these kinds of shoes and exercise their ankle muscles properly.

[01:04.26] High heels are considered by some sexy and feminine, but ironically the fashion started with men's feet.

[01:12.78] These shoes were a form of riding footwear, and would be seen on the feet of 17th Century Persian soldiers.

[01:20.30] Elizabeth Semmelhack of the Bata Shoe Museum in Toronto says: "When the soldier stood up in his stirrups, the heel helped him to secure his stance so that he could shoot his bow and arrow more effectively."

[01:32.58] Before becoming a staple of modern women's wardrobes, high heels were used by Louis XIV of France.

[01:40.09] These shoes were status symbols. Let's face it - nothing screams privilege like uncomfortable, luxurious and impractical clothing. They say the wearer doesn't have to work in fields or walk very far.

[01:53.37] What do you think: are high heels a symbol of women's elevation in society or just something to be booted out of fashion?