What is the Barbie feet challenge? Barbie has unleashed a fervor in cinemagoers like nothing in recent years. Multiplex audiences are turning up dressed head-to-toe in pink, while Kenergy is radiating everywhere. Over on TikTok, things are getting even more extreme.
Perhaps inevitably, the popularity of Barbie has birthed a challenge for people to take on. Inspired by the Barbie cast and a particular scene in one of the year’s most successful new movies, some social media users have been trying to recreate one of the most viral moments from Greta Gerwig‘s film.
Barbie is definitely among the best movies of the year, as we wrote in our Barbie review, but you won’t see us giving this a try. So what is the Barbie feet challenge, and why are people being warned about even attempting it?
What is the Barbie feet challenge?
The Barbie feet challenge involves stepping out of shoes and trying to maintain the perfectly-arched feet of a Barbie doll, as seen in the Barbie movie.
Margot Robbie performed the scene for real in the movie, as she explains in the video below. It took eight takes and involved double-sided tape to keep the shoes on the floor, as well as a support bar out of shot to help take her weight.
Obviously, many of the people performing the stunt on TikTok aren’t taking on the same measures. Podiatrists are concerned that this is going to lead to people hurting themselves. Putting that much body weight on to the balls of your feet places a lot of stress on other muscles in the area.
Other possible injuries include ankle sprains, joint damage in the toes, and stress fractures. Ouch! We’d say it’s probably not worth it for the sake of some likes on TikTok.
For more from the life in plastic, find out about the Barbie movie’s Proustian joke and the toe-tapping Barbie soundtrack. We’ve also explained why the Barbie movie cut a ludicrous scene and looked at how Tom Hanks is making his own version of the Barbie movie.
And if you’re going back to the multiplex for more, here are some Barbie Easter eggs to watch out for when you get to Barbenheimer round two. You can also read our Oppenheimer review.