- Ballerina flats are back in fashion, but they can lead to permanent foot problems
- Podiatrists recommend choosing shoes with additional cushioning
- READ MORE: I’m a podiatrist – here’s what your feet say about your health
A staple of early 2000s fashion, ballet flats are making a comeback, with celebrities and career women alike wearing the dainty shoes.
In recent months they have been seen on celebrities such as Meghan Markle, Gigi Hadid and Angelina Jolie. On TikTok, videos with #balletflats have more than 160 million views.
But even though ballet flats are back in style, health experts warn that they could ruin your feet and cause injuries like stress fractures, bunions, shin splints and blisters.
The main problem, according to podiatrists, is that they are flat, thin and do not provide adequate support for your feet. While the delicate shoes may be useful for ballet dancers who need extra flexibility, their design means they do not provide arch support, which is important for balance, walking, standing and running.
Gigi Hadid (left) and Angelina Jolie both recently stepped out in ballet flats, a staple of early 2000s fashion
From annoying cracked heels to more serious symptoms like swelling, your feet often show symptoms of illness before any other part of your body
Dr. Robert Khorramian, a podiatrist in Santa Monica, California, shared Who wears what Last year, this lack of support made ballet flats the worst shoe for foot health.
Lack of arch support can lead to plantar fasciitis – an inflammation of the tissue in the foot that is stressed during walking and other foot movements.
This condition causes a sharp pain on the bottom of the foot, near the heel, which usually worsens with the first few steps after waking up or after standing for a long time.
MedScape estimates that one million Americans see a doctor every year for plantar fasciitis.
Wearing shoes without arch support can also worsen neuromas, a type of inflammation of the foot nerves and between the bones of the foot. This is also known as “Morton’s neuroma”.
According to the Mayo Clinic, patients with neuromas in their feet may feel like they are standing on a pebble. Other signs of the disease include burning pain in the ball of the foot that radiates to the toes and tingling or numbness in the toes.
Wearing ballet flats for long periods of time can also lead to injuries such as shin splints and stress fractures due to repetitive strain and poor arch support. Shin splints, also called medial tibial stress syndrome, cause pain along the tibia, or shin bone, which runs along the front of the lower leg.
A stress fracture, on the other hand, is a tiny crack in the bone caused by repeated force or overuse. This causes pain and tenderness. Wearing ballet flats increases the repetitive force applied to your feet while walking because the bottom of the shoes is extremely thin and provides no cushioning between the foot and the ground.
Dr. Khorramian recommended purchasing ballet flats with cushioned soles for support and comfort, as well as ones that have enough room for your toes so they sit more comfortably and don’t get painfully squashed into a pointed shoe.