Why do astronauts wear heels?

Question

I was reading another question on the site when I noticed the EVA suit sports heels.

Why do they put heels on space suits? (cropped detailed view)

Sometimes they walk in the spacesuit also in gravity? For example, if they enter the spaceship before launch. — peterh, Mar 28 '18 at 23:08
Frankly, from the title, I was hoping you would be asking about this picture https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DSJpX2tWkAA68sd.jpg — Organic Marble, Mar 28 '18 at 23:55

Organic Marble · Accepted Answer · 2020-07-18T14:53:56.767

79

That only looks like a heel! As shown here, it's a "foot restraint interface"!

That said, it probably makes walking around in the training facilities a lot easier. Although that doesn't happen much - the EMUs are heavy.

Source: JSC-19450 Rev. B Extravehicular Mobility Unit Systems Training Workbook

This picture of a Manipulator Foot Restraint - it was grappled by the shuttle robot arm and used to move crewpersons around - shows the interface with the boot. You can see where the heels fit.

Source: Smithsonian Air & Space museum

And here's a crewperson in the restraint.

Source

Finally, here's the Portable Foot Restraint attached to the space station robot arm. You can see it has the same interface to the boot.

Source

edited Jul 18 '20 at 14:53

answered Mar 28 '18 at 23:08

Organic Marble

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Is it still in use on the ISS, or is it a legacy thing ? – Antzi Mar 29 '18 at 00:48
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Yes. The ISS suit is essentially the same as the shuttle suit. The bottom picture shows the space station robot arm. I will edit the answer to make that clear, thanks. – Organic Marble Mar 29 '18 at 01:12
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Basically it is a cleat, like on a downhill ski boot. – geoffc Mar 29 '18 at 01:38
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I hope there is an additional safety ine beyond that boot attachment. – Yakk Mar 29 '18 at 15:37
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Tether protocols are strictly followed. In the bottom picture you can see the tether attached near the foot restraint mount and stretching up to the crewperson. – Organic Marble Mar 29 '18 at 15:54
Awesome, I always assumed they held magnets in those heels. – Mast Mar 29 '18 at 16:56
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Of course, if you go back as far as Persian Cavalry "foot restraint interface" and "heel" are the same thing - they originated so you could stand in the stirrup of a galloping horse. – Pete Kirkham Mar 29 '18 at 21:17
That is both terrifying and amazing. – Wayne Werner Mar 30 '18 at 15:33
I noticed that this view is excellent! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Astronaut_Scott_Parazynski_repairs_a_damaged_ISS_solar_panel.jpg especially if cropped below a width of 640 pixels https://i.stack.imgur.com/s2Coe.jpg – uhoh Jun 20 '18 at 12:13
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Nice one with the EVA guy on the end of the inspection boom. – Organic Marble Jun 20 '18 at 12:22
I've just asked What is the purpose of this cable connecting Astronaut's boot restraint to a robotic arm? – uhoh Jun 20 '18 at 12:27
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Joining the party two years after the fact, but I'm very curious to know why, in the 3rd photo, there is a Western Union logo inside the Shuttle bay? Given that we're probably still a century away from having a Western Union office in Earth orbit. – clayRay Jul 18 '20 at 07:14
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@clayRay why not ask that as a question, rather than in a comment? – Organic Marble Jul 18 '20 at 11:46
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@clayRay I'm pretty sure its there to make sure I get the song by The Five Americans stuck in my head, two years later! – Cort Ammon Jul 18 '20 at 18:56
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@OrganicMarble I was just about to do that but then I found the answer: Western Union owned a majority stake in all the Westar Satellites. This is presumably the retrieval mission for the failed Westar 6. – clayRay Jul 22 '20 at 00:54
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@clayRay actually that's mission 41-b which launched Westar 6. Here's a similar picture with the details. https://images.nasa.gov/details-S84-27021 – Organic Marble Jul 22 '20 at 01:10
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Aha @OrganicMarble - then it makes more sense that Western Union would want to have their name up in the bay – clayRay Jul 22 '20 at 02:44

Why do astronauts wear heels?

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