Researchers at the University of Portsmouth filmed a group of women as they walked on a treadmill, both in flats and high heels.
The women, in their 20s, each owned between four and 25 pairs of heels, which they wore at least once a week. A separate group of men and women were then shown 30-second clips of the film.
Every one in the group rated the participants as more attractive when they wore the heels, the 'Daily Mail' reported.
The study used a process known as point-light display, in which lit markers are placed around the body, meaning the face and torso of each of the 12 participants were obscured, so the viewer could only see patterns of light.
In a second experiment, the viewing group were asked to judge whether the video showed a man or a woman walking towards them.
When the women wore flat shoes they were nearly twice as likely to be viewed as a man, the report said.
Researchers also measured the differences in gait when the women wore heels and flats. They concluded that the women looked more feminine in heels, as they made them take shorter strides and swing their hips more.
"We suggest that high heels may exaggerate the sex-specific aspects of the female walk which could cause sexual arousal in males and make women aware of potential competitors for mates," researchers said.
The study was published in the journal Evolution and Human Behaviour.
