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 This is Scientific American's 60-Second Science. I'm Eric Barris. Got a minute?                                                    

Maybe call it the Sex and the City footwear effect. High heels are stylish¹, and in some circles, considered a fashion requirement. But they come with risks. 

Emergency room visits due to high heel shoe related injuries doubled between 2002 and 2012. That's according to a study in the Journal of Foots and Ankle Surgery. 

Researchers estimate that during the period of the study Americans sustained more than 123,000 high heel related ER-worthy injuries. Almost three quarters of the damage was to ankles and feet, but wearers also hurt their knees, shoulders and heads. Most of the injuries were minor². 

The research adds to a body of knowledge on the adverse³ effects of heels. It's known that walking in them can reduce ankle muscle movements, stride length and balance. Longterm, heels can alter the neuromechanics of walking and can lead to muscular disorders⁴. But they look good and more than half of American women and some men wear heels regularly. 

 Most of the footwear foibles (a minor weakness or eccentricity⁵ in sb's character) tracked in the study were suffered by women between the ages of 20 and 29. And perhaps surprisingly, the majority of the injuries did not happen when people were out on the town. They occurred at home. So before you don your newest pricy pair of , remember, being careful can save your soul, and your ankle too.