The release of the Barbie movie has created quite a lot of buzz, including trends such as people dressed up as Barbie or Ken while hitting the theatres. Another buzzing trend is the Barbie feet challenge – where people make videos of walking in high heels, mimicking a scene in the movie and trailer, and then taking them off to try and walk on their toes with the feet contorted/stretched to match the position it was while wearing heels.
Though this challenge seems fun and harmless, walking around in this unnatural position could damage the feet, besides causing other postural hazards, say experts.
Long-term hazards of keeping feet in ‘Barbie position’
“Doing the [Barbie feet] challenge for a few seconds will probably not cause any issues if they’re doing it with the precautions,” says Dr Sarika Jambhulkar, practising podiatrist, FootImpact Podiatry Clinic, Mumbai.
But it seems that most people don’t simply do it for a short period, shoot the video. Instead, they attempt to walk around in an unnatural position which puts excessive pressure on the ball of the foot.
“When someone uses heels for long periods, it leads to calf tightness and pressure on the forefoot. They may develop bunion, calluses, and corns. It also affects the entire posture and will lead to the tilt in the pelvis (anterior pelvic tilt),” says Dr Jambhulkar.
The continuous stress placed on the joints when wearing high heels or holding the feet in an unnatural position (tiptoeing) leads to joint problems and in the longer-run, osteoarthritis. The altered position of the feet in high heels or the ‘Barbie position’ affects the alignment of the spine. It pushes the centre of gravity of the body forward, leading to lower back pain and poor posture.
Health implications of Barbie feet
Holding all your weight on your toes for prolonged periods, as seen in the Barbie feet challenge, can increase pressure on the toes causing them to bend unnaturally, leading to the development of hammertoes, mallet toes, or claw toes.
If this posture is maintained to walk around for a long period of time, could lead to spine or lower back pain which will require medical attention. Constantly being on tiptoes places excessive strain on the muscles and tendons in the feet and the calves.
“People may have pain in general,” says Dr Jambhulkar. “Metatarsalgia [pain and inflammation in the metatarsal bones] is the pain in the forefoot and plantar fasciitis is pain in the heel. Both are possible but Metatarsalgia is more likely to happen [while standing with weight on the toes],” says Dr Jambhulkar.
Metatarsalgia can make it uncomfortable to walk or stand for extended periods.
How high heels affect your feet
Wearing high heels creates uneven pressure and the body weight mostly falls on our feet and lower limbs. This puts uneven stress on joints like the ankles and knees. So as the mimicking of the high heel posture.
It leads to abnormal loading of the foot leading to stress fractures, muscle contractures, and fascial contractures. All these factors can disrupt the mechanism of the foot, causing pain, instability and deformities in the long run.
“Prevent walking in any unhealthy position for a long time which can result in abnormal loading, instead walk in a normal, proper way, wear comfortable footwear, and engage in activities that help in stretching and strengthening your feet,” says Dr Ayyappan V Nair, consultant – shoulder surgery, sports medicine and arthroscopy, Manipal Hospital, Bengaluru.
Takeaways
- Doing the barbie feet challenge for a short duration should not cause a problem.
- Using heels for a longer period leads to calf tightness and due to pressure on the forefoot develop bunion, calluses, and corns.
- Holding all your weight on your toes for prolonged periods, as seen in the Barbie feet challenge, can increase pressure on the toes causing them to bend unnaturally.
- Avoid walking in any unhealthy position for a long time which can result in abnormal loading. Instead walk normally, wear comfortable footwear, and engage in activities that help in stretching and strengthening your feet.
