Women Walk in High Heels: Lumbar Curvature, Dynamic Motion Stimuli and Attractiveness

Abstract

Previous studies have demonstrated that the angle of women’s lumbar curvature affects men’s attractiveness judgments of them. The theoretically optimal angle of lumbar curvature provides better resistance against both hyperlordosis and hypolordosis as biomechanical costs of a bipedal fetal load that could impair a woman’s fertility. Since men find this attribute attractive, women aim to emphasize it by wearing high-heeled shoes. The primary objective of the present study was to test this evolutionary hypothesis using short videos presenting women walking by the camera. In line with previous findings based on static stimuli (photographs), dynamic stimuli (videos) presenting women walking in high-heeled shoes were expected to elicit increased attractiveness ratings as compared to women wearing flat shoes, which would be associated with the angle of lumbar curvature. Videos were taken of 52 female models walking in two conditions (i.e., wearing either high-heeled or flat shoes). A total of 108 participants (61 males, 47 females) rated the walking models’ physical attractiveness in an online setting. Each model’s lumbar curvature was measured both in high heels and in flat shoes using photographs taken of them prior to each video recording. The results showed that wearing high heels consistently increased the models’ attractiveness, regardless of whether or not it decreased their natural difference from the theoretically optimal angle of lumbar curvature. Both male and female observers showed this positive effect. Furthermore, a negative correlation was found between the models’ body mass index (BMI) and their perceived attractiveness scores in both conditions.

Sexual Receptivity Signal of Lordosis Posture and Intra-Sexual Competition in Women

“…As noted above, this dissociation between sexual receptivity and attraction is not predicted by the vertebral wedging hypothesis. Moreover, the results of the present investigation suggest that transient alternations in back curving that result from posturing or the wearing of high-heel shoes will trigger an increase in perceived sexual receptivity, as well as an increase in perceived attraction [9,13,14]. It is also worth noting that this ability of women to temporarily alter their back posture and trigger heightened perceptions of sexual receptivity and attraction does not sit comfortably with the more rigid morphological wedging hypothesis proposed by Lewis et al [9].…”

“…Prokop and Švancárová [12] showed that women prefer to wear high-heel shoes as a sexual strategy when interacting with attractive men, potentially as they hold the belief that high heels are sexually appealing to men. Indeed, research has shown that men consider women in high heels as more sexually attractive [13], a finding that translates to both studies of preference in the field [14] and laboratory investigations using static images [11,15] and dynamic stimuli [13,16]. This increase in perceived attractiveness of women in high heels has been attributed to several factors: perceptions of heightened femininity when women walk wearing them [14,16], an increase in the perception of leg length [11], and an increase in lumbar curvature [13,15].…”

Sex Differences in Physical Attractiveness Investments: Overlooked Side of Masculinity

“…Further investigations found this preference among newborns even as young as 14 h from birth [ 3 ]. Numerous studies provided evidence that attractiveness ratings are based on, for instance, masculinity level [ 4 ], facial features (skin tone: [ 5 ]; facial hair: [ 6 ]; hair color: [ 7 ]), or clothing [ 8 , 9 ]. Each of those bodily characteristics can be, to some extent, altered.…”