A rather strange TikTok trend inspired by the film Barbie could put your feet in danger. What is the “Barbie feet trend” and why are podiatrists warning against it?
Funnily enough, the trend actually began before the movie even came out, owing to the now-iconic Barbie scene that inspired it being featured in the trailer. The scene in question involves Margot Robbie’s titular blonde bombshell stepping out of high heels. However, the way she steps out of the shoes is extremely particular and would be challenging for your average person.
You see, Barbie steps out of the shoes without moving them. What’s more, she continues to pose her feet in a high-heel position, balancing on the balls of her feet. Instead of letting her heels and arches rest on the floor, they are suspended in the air above it. Now, people have been attempting this in real life while filming themselves, posting it on TikTok, and calling it the “Barbie feet trend.”
Even merely wearing high heels in and of itself is known to cause injury, as podiatrist Sari Priesand of Michigan Medicine explained to Click on Detroit just this week. However, Priesand said the “Barbie feet challenge” can add a lot of unnecessary risk on top of that:
“The forefoot in that position is where a lot of the pressure is on the ball of the foot and the toes […] That puts a lot of stress and a lot of pressure on the structures of the ball of the foot, but also, if there are deformities of the forefoot, that can also put some stress on those, and then the ankle or hind foot, which is lifted in the air, would be destabilized.”
Even before director Greta Gerwig made history with Barbie marking the largest opening weekend at the box office for a movie directed by a woman, at $162 million, the “Barbie feet challenge” was already wildly popular from the trailer alone. In fact, the alarm bells from doctors about the dangers of the trend have been ringing for well over two weeks now. As Dr. Jodi R. Schoenhause from the Foot, Ankle, Leg Vein Center warned back on July 8 via a statement (per Cinemablend):
“Although the Barbie Arch makes a woman’s legs appear longer and toner, it is not without risk. If someone attempts the pose once or twice, they will likely be ok and produce a great TikTok video. However, if attempting the pose and stride over long periods, there are some risks involved. The ankle is unstable, which can lead to ligament sprains and injuries, commonly seen with high heel use.”
It isn’t surprising to hear the risk of injury may be high for people recreating the shot when you consider Robbie herself had a number of safety precautions in place, such as the shoes being planted on the ground by double-sided tape and the actress utilizing the assistance of a bar to hold herself up. Many people on TikTok are obviously not following the same protocol when you peruse the “Barbie feet trend” videos on the social media site. Plus, Robbie is experienced in dance and stunts, as she explained to Entertainment Tonight.