Observation Study On The Relationship Between Height And The Choice Of Footwear

1.0. Introduction

In this observation study, the objective is to observe if females who are shorter (in height) tend to wear elevated footwear, such as high heels or platform shoes, more often than taller females. Hence the hypothesis below was formed.

Hypothesis: More short females (versus tall females) wear elevated footwear (versus dgdfgdfgdfg flat footwear)

Males were left out of this observation study as it is not the social norm in the study's location (Singapore) for males to wear high heels, platform shoes or similar categories of footwear.

One predicts that shorter females would be inclined to wear elevated footwear more than their taller counterparts, as the media usually portrays taller people as more attractive, and females who wish to look attractive would thus wear elevated footwear.

2.0. Procedure

A total of two sets of observations were taken for this study. Both were carried out on a Friday, as one predicts that with the impending weekend, most people in Singapore would want to look their best for the social activities which they partake in after work or school. Hence, the short females who want to look taller would most likely be wearing their elevated footwear on a Friday, if not everyday.

The time slot of 6.30pm was chosen as most work and school activities would have ended by then, hence ensuring that the sample observed would not be missing out on a certain social group which might be engaged in daily activities otherwise. The location of choice was the Orchard Road Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station. As one of the busiest MRT stations in Singapore, this location would yield a sample of all ages, culture, social class and ethnicity, as the station is frequented by most Singaporeans.

Individuals were identified as females according to their physical attributes and the way they dressed. For example, a person wearing a skirt would be assumed to be female, as it is not the social norm for males to wear skirts in Singapore, and this is not a common occurrence. Similarly, individuals with visible breasts were also identified as females. In cases where one had difficulty identifying the gender of a certain individual, one simply does not take that person into consideration for the study, because such an individual would not be a good representation of the population should it turn out that the person was a male.

Having identified a certain individual as a female, the next step would be to determine if the individual was short, and if she was wearing elevated footwear. Addressing the latter issue, a broad definition of elevated footwear was used, and hence, any footwear that was not flat was considered to be a form of elevated footwear. Lastly, I used myself, the observer as a benchmark. I am 1.6m tall with my shoes on. According to statistics from the National Institute of Health in Singapore, the average height of females aged 18-80 is 1.55m. Thus, I estimated that females who wore elevated footwear and yet were still below my height would be considered short, and vice versa. Females who were of the same height as I were left out of the study as their height would be considered average by national standards and hence, they would be neither particularly tall or short.

With these definitions, the observation study was carried out on two separate Fridays. Care was taken for the same shoes to be worn by the observer on both days. A total of 100 readings were taken on each day. The average was then calculated and tabulated in Table 1.

3.0. Results

Hence, the results were collated and are depicted graphically in Chart 1+. The chart shows that the number of short females wearing elevated footwear was significantly higher. However, absolute numbers are not conclusive in our study. Thus, a Chi-square test was then conducted*. Indeed, the actual chi-square was greater than the critical chi-square. One could then conclude that the hypothesis can be accepted and that more short females wear elevated footwear.

4.0. Conclusions

Armed with the above results, one can come up with various inferences and the implications they might have for marketing to footwear consumers. In addition, one must recognize that the study is not without its limitations and hence, come up with suitable improvements for it.

4.1. Implications and Uses of the Findings

The conclusion that shorter females tend to wear elevated footwear more often implies that shorter females would be more inclined to purchase such footwear. Therefore, the marketing efforts for elevated footwear should be geared towards this group of consumers.

For example, items in boutiques can be arranged such that the elevated footwear are all placed together. This way, the consumers who tend to wear elevated footwear will be able to view their preferred type of footwear with ease. In addition, sales people can be trained to identify short females among their customers and direct them to the elevated footwear section. These efforts, combined with the short female customer's natural inclinations, will help to increase