Doctors Warn Against TikTok's New 'Barbie Feet Challenge', Say It's Dangerous. Here's Why

The world just cannot get enough of ¡°Barbie¡±. The film starring Margot Robbie created waves much before its release and scripted box office history by recording the biggest opening weekend ever by a female director.

Movie buffs were super excited to watch the film and a majority of them wore pink outfits to echo the theme of the movie. The Greta Gerwig directorial contributed to birthday party themes, restaurant decors and food as well. The movie took the internet by storm and inspired the fashion circuit, a trend that is now called ¡°Barbiecore¡±.

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Popular scene that inspired the trend

But a very popular scene from the film has fans, and even celebrities obsessing over it leading everyone on the internet to recreate it. The shot showed Robbie¡¯s perfectly arched feet amidst a pink background.

In the scene, Robbie¡¯s character was seen slipping out of her pink, furry heels and standing on the tips of her toes, while her heels remained in the air. Exactly like Mattel¡¯s iconic Barbie dolls.

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The "Barbie Foot Challenge"

Inspiring the ¡°Barbie Foot Challenge¡±, the trend requires the participant to recreate the scene. The hashtags #BarbieFeet and #BarbieFeetChallenge have garnered a combined total of over 80 million views on the platform, and search interest for ¡°Barbie Foot Challenge¡± increased 2,950% over the course of one week, Foot, Ankle & Leg Vein Center reported, according to the New York Post.

Shanna Scribner, a TikToker, was the first one to post a video based on the scene, and hence kickstarted a trend. Even American model Chrissy Teigen hopped onto the bandwagon.

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Doctors warn against it

While it may be all fun, health experts have now advised to avoid taking on the trend and have called it a dangerous stunt. Here's why.

Dr. Jodi R. Schoenhaus, a board-certified podiatrist at Foot, Ankle & Leg Vein Center, emphasized that while attempting the pose once or twice might not be harmful, doing it repeatedly over an extended period could lead to various risks.

The pose puts the ankle in an unstable position, making ligament sprains and injuries more likely, similar to the issues often seen with high heel use. The high-arched position of the Barbie foot could also lead to muscle and spine problems as it puts strain on the lower back.

Additionally, there's a concern for younger girls who are still growing as this posture can potentially damage their growth plates. Contrary to popular belief, this foot position differs significantly from simply wearing high heels. While the feet might appear similar in both cases, wearing heels provides support to the heel and rear of the foot, which the Barbie Foot posture lacks entirely, placing greater strain on the body.

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Dr. Schoenhaus pointed out that walking on one's toes without the support of heels is not sustainable. In fact, the reality is that Barbie actually has flat feet in the movie, a condition shared by around 30% of the population. The expert advises leaving this trend to movie stars, who have props and multiple takes to achieve the perfect look.

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