In one of my settings, I have a character who is given the ability to shapeshift. Her default appearance after obtaining this ability is much the same as it was before. The important part, for the purposes of this question, is that she is a 6'0" human (183cm), but wears heels so that her effective height is closer to 6'2" / 6'3" (188-191cm).
Let's say she shapeshifts into another human female, who is 5'0" (152cm) and does not wear heels, with the intent of impersonating her. Suddenly she has to get used to the fact that her limbs are a few inches shorter, her stride is shorter, her field of vision is significantly lower...
What difficulties might she have in adjusting to a body that is suddenly a foot shorter than what she's used to? Would the average person suddenly become clumsy in this scenario, or would they get the hang of their new body pretty much straight away?
Assumptions:
- She has no secondary power that allows her brain to instantly adjust itself to her new body. Hence me asking how the average human would cope in this situation.
- Teenage years notwithstanding, she has no prior experience of being 5'0".
- I'm not yet sure how to handle the Shapeshifter Baggage issue (warning, TV Tropes link!), so don't worry about how her centre of mass/gravity might change.