Objective To investigate the effects of heel heights on gait of young women when going downstairs, and analyze the injury risk of women wearing high-heeled shoes during stair descent. Methods The gait from 17 young women wearing shoes with 4 different heel heights during their stair descent was measured by infrared high-speed motion capture system. The subjects’temporal parameters of gait and 3D joint angles of lower extremity were calculated and analyzed. Results Compared with flat shoes, the gait cycle increased when wearing 3 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes during stair descent, and the stance phase proportion and double-support stance phase proportion decreased, while the step width also decreased evidently. For 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes, the ankle range of motion (ROM) in the sagittal plane would reduce significantly, and for all the 3 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes, the ankle ROM in transverse plane would increase during stair descent. Wearing 3 cm, 5 cm high-heeled shoes could make the knee ROM in the sagittal plane significantly reduce, while wearing 3 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes, the knee ROM in the transverse plane would increase evidently. Wearing 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes, the maximum hip flexion angle was greater than that of wearing flat shoes, and the minimum hip flexion angle would be also greater when wearing 3 cm, 5 cm, 7 cm high-heeled shoes. Conclusions During stair descent, with the increase of heel heights, the gait cycle and swing phase proportion increase, while the stance phase proportion, double-support stance phase proportion and step width decrease, which will raise the risk of falling. Meanwhile, the knee and ankle ROMs in sagittal plane decrease gradually, while those in transverse plane come to increase. The research findings can help to further understand the influence of heel heights on gait characteristics and patterns during stair descent and provide reference for possible injury risk analysis.