High-Heeled Shoes Are Climbing New Heights

This crystal-covered Christian Louboutin, retails for $5,995 at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. The heel is over 7 inches high. (ABC News)

Celebs and fashionistas are known for falling head over heels for shoes, but these days, some women are doing it literally. Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Beyonce and several supermodels have been known stumble in some very high heels.

Designers are daring women to scale new heights in platforms, wedges, stilettos and even claw, lion paw and horse hoof-inspired heels, some as high as eleven inches.

ABC News' Juju Chang measures the heel on a crystal-covered Christian Louboutin. Credit: ABC News

The average heel height today is six inches, more than double what it was the 1970s. Enthusiasts say sky-high heels make you look taller, leaner and sexier.

ABC News

This crystal-covered Christian Louboutin,... View Full Size

ABC News

This crystal-covered Christian Louboutin, retails for $5,995 at Bergdorf Goodman in New York City. The heel is over 7 inches high.

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"I definitely feel like I look better when I wear them," said Kelly Ripa, the co-host of "Live with Regis and Kelly," who has become famous for her stilettos. "I put on heels and I immediately, for whatever reason, look taller and skinnier...I look more confident because I think feel more confident."

That confidence extended to a charity footrace Ripa founded, called "The High Heel-a-Thon."

"It just seemed like a fun idea and I thought that I would win. I said I will blow these women out of the water because I know how to maneuver around in heels, but it's quite a different [to run in them]," she said.

Kelly Ripa preparing to run her charity race, "The High Heel-a-Thon." Credit: Getty Images

Ripa raised eyebrows by sticking with her fashionable footwear even after a stress fracture. She appeared on her show wearing high heels while on crutches.

"That was probably not my finest moment," she said. "My hip doctor went insane."

The quest for altitude does get treacherous. Podiatrists say they're seeing an uptick in high heel-related broken ankles, bunions and shortened Achilles tendons.

Ripa said she simply cannot resist the high she gets from heels. She makes a point of showcasing her shoes when she's on the red carpet.

"I'm never confident about what I'm wearing on my body -- ever. I always feel like I've made the wrong choice," she said, "but I'm always confident about my shoe choice."