Platform sandals were in fashion in the seventies in Japan. Recently, many accidents such as falling down and traffic accidents have been caused by these sandals. In the present study, the effects of platform sandals on humans were examined in the following experiments : 1) Walking on a flat surface, 2) walking up and down the staircase, 3) driving a car. Six different types of platform sandals were used. Electromyogram was measured in the walking experiments. Subjective ratings were obtained regarding walking or driving. The difference in height between toe and hee1 seemed to be more important than thickness of shoe sole. Design for platform sandals are being investigated from the viewpoint of walking function of humans and gender.
