Summer is coming, and the little sisters who love beauty have put on high heels, looking tall and thin, and their temperament is elegant and generous
However, wearing high heels for a long time to grind your feet, blisters, broken skin, scabs … It may even affect health.
At present, there are many brands of high-heeled sandals on the market, and the price difference is large. In order to help consumers buy comfortable, durable and safe high-heeled sandals, the Municipal Consumer Protection Commission has carried out comparative tests on such products.
Forty models of high-heeled sandals were purchased and tested for physical and mechanical properties (flex resistance, wear resistance, peel strength, hooking, color fastness to rubbing of lining and inner pads, etc.) and limits of harmful substances.
The results showed that 28 of the 40 samples passed all the test items, and the other 12 samples had problems in physical and mechanical properties such as flexural resistance, belt pull-out strength, bottom peeling strength, and hooking, or poor performance in the limits of harmful substances such as phthalates and hexavalent chromium.
Wearability: GIORGIO ARMANI, steel hook bending performance does not meet the standard requirements
The crack of 1 sample was too long in the flexural performance test, the strap of 3 samples was easy to break, the upper surface and sole were easy to open the glue, and 4 samples had poor hooking performance.
Flexural resistance reflects the bending resistance and bending performance of shoes in normal wearing conditions, and shoes with poor folding performance are prone to sole fracture during wearing, cracked surface or bottom wall glue.
The test results showed that the cracks of the women’s shoes allegedly commissioned by Zhejiang Zhuoshini Holdings Co., Ltd. exceeded the standard requirements and exceeded the standard limit by 2 times.
The pull-out strength of the strap and the peeling strength of the sole are indicators to measure the degree of adhesion of the upper, sole and strap of footwear products. In particular, the one-line strap and lace-up high-heeled sandals, which are loved by many women, are prone to broken straps, and the upper surface and sole are disconnected and peeled, which is also one of the more common quality problems in daily consumer complaints.
The test results showed that the pull-out strength or bottom peel strength of the 3 samples did not meet the requirements of their express standards.
Hook is the “backbone” of shoes, shoes worn on the foot stable or not, mainly rely on the role of hooking, especially for high-heeled sandals with a gang structure, the contribution to the stability of the gang is small, and the stability mainly depends on the hook. If the hook is too soft and short, broken or obviously cracked when bent, the heel will be crooked when walking, resulting in the overall shape of the shoe being deformed, unstable walking, and even causing the wearer to fall and fall. The test results showed that the 4 hooks were too soft, too short, or the hooks were obviously cracked or even broken after the test.
In addition, this comparative test also tested the wear resistance of the outsole, the wear resistance of the heel surface, the adheel adhesion, the color fastness of the lining and the inner pad rubbing, etc., and the results met the standard requirements.
Security testing
Summer consumers have the habit of wearing shoes barefoot, shoes are in direct contact with the skin for a long time, and the limit of harmful substances cannot be ignored. The current footwear standards do not have strict requirements for the limit of harmful substances, and this comparative test refers to the “General Safety Requirements for Footwear” (draft approval) that was established in 2019 and is currently entering the approval stage, and tested the limits of harmful substances such as phthalates, hexavalent chromium, dimethyl fumarate, etc., and obtained data for consumers’ reference.
Phthalates (plasticizers) can make hard plastics soft and elastic, making materials easier to shape. Studies have shown that phthalates can be absorbed into the body through the respiratory system and skin, causing harm to the reproductive development of the human body. In the “General Safety Requirements for Footwear” (Draft for Approval), the total amount of plasticizers recommended by DEHP, DBP, BBP and DIBP shall not exceed 0.1%.
The hexavalent chromium in footwear products comes from the chromium tanning agent used in the production process of leather materials on shoes, which can be converted into hexavalent chromium under high temperature, oxidant and other conditions. Hexavalent chromium absorbed by the body may cause allergies or cause many other health problems. In the “General Safety Requirements for Footwear” (Draft for Approval), the hexavalent chromium content is recommended to not exceed 10mg/kg.
The test results showed that the detection value of phthalates in 4 samples exceeded 0.1%, and the hexavalent chromium content of the leather part lined with 1 sample was 25mg/kg.
In addition, this comparative test also tested dimethyl fumarate, chlorophenol, formaldehyde, decomposable carcinogenic aromatic amine dyes and other indicators, and the results all passed the recommended limits of the General Safety Requirements for Footwear (Draft for Approval).
High-heeled sandals to buy “four looks”
Look at the shoe shape
Some consumers reported that the shoe size was correct, but their feet were always “scarred” after wearing shoes. This may be because you can’t choose the right shoe shape according to your foot shape. Common shoe types for high heels include angled toe, pointed toe shoes, almond toe shoes, round toe shoes, and square-toe shoes.
In general, “Egyptian feet” are more suitable for wearing angled pointed toe shoes or angled toe shoes. “Roman feet” can choose square-toe shoes or round-toe shoes with wide toes, and try to avoid pointed toe shoes. “Greek feet” are more suitable for pointed toe shoes and almond toe shoes, try to avoid wearing fish mouth shoes, otherwise a small embarrassment of the second toe being exposed outside the toe may occur.
Look at the hook
The hook is the decisive component that supports the shape, is installed in the shoe, invisible and intangible, but plays a key role. When picking shoes, you can put the shoes flat on a solid surface, and press the inner foot part of the shoe with moderate force with your hand is not soft and not deformed, such as after wearing the shoes, you find that the heel is crooked, the center of the foot is empty or uncomfortable, and it is very likely that the hook is defective.
Look at the heel
Compared to fine-rooted shoes, block heels put your weight on your heels better, so you can stand more steadily. For thin heels, heels that are too far back or too forward do not support the weight of the whole body well. When picking shoes, you can observe whether the center line of the heel and the center of the heel are in a straight line, or place the shoes on the plane and touch them gently, without shaking left and right sharply, which is a relatively stable shoe.
Look at the sole
The material of the sole affects the longevity of high-heeled sandals. Among the common sole materials, the leather sole is comfortable and fit, but the general quality is heavier, and the water resistance and acid and alkali corrosion resistance are also poor; PU soles are light, wear-resistant, resistant to bending, but the sole feels harder; EVA bottom texture is light, soft and elastic, but not wear-resistant, oil-resistant.
■ First of all, do not wear shoes barefoot for a long time. In summer, many people like to wear shoes barefoot, but in the hot summer, the double body is easy to sweat, and wearing shoes barefoot will make the skin directly soaked in sweat. If you wear shoes that are not very breathable, it is easy to cause fungal infections or other foot diseases. In addition, the chemicals in high-heeled sandals have a certain irritation to the skin, and people with allergies are prone to skin redness, blisters and other symptoms after wearing it for a long time. Therefore, it is recommended not to wear shoes barefoot for a long time, and when it is hot, you can wear thin cotton socks or cotton insoles to facilitate sweat absorption.
■ In addition, choose the appropriate heel height according to the occasion. According to the heel height, general women’s shoes can be divided into flat heels under 3 cm, medium heels under 3-5 cm, high heels of 6-8 cm, and super high heels above 8 cm. Shoes with a heel height of 3-8 cm are suitable for work or ordinary occasions, while shoes with a heel height of more than 8 cm are suitable for special occasions such as performances and dances.
■ Some consumers have reported that they often wear high heels and the soles of their feet are easy to deform (hallux valgus). Hallux valgus most often occurs in people with a genetic predisposition and wearing inappropriate shoes for a long time, especially when wearing high heels, due to gravity and the increase in the slope of the shoe, the toes are squeezed into the narrow and small toe, which is easy to induce the formation of hallux valgus. It is recommended that when buying high heels, the heel should not be too high and the toe cap should not be too narrow. Avoid wearing high heels for long periods of time, and it is best to have a comfortable pair of flat shoes with you and exchange them with high heels.
(Original title: “The more expensive the shoes, the better to wear?”) After trying 40 pairs of high heels, we found that the 4620 yuan shoes did not meet the standard, with deletions)
Source: WeChat public account “Shanghai Consumer Protection Commission”
High-heeled sandals to buy “four looks”