From stilettos to sneakers: Barbie increasingly flat-footed

A Barbie that wears heels as standard? No, that is no longer necessary these days. Barbie is increasingly standing with both feet on the ground. Literally. A study of Barbie dolls shows that the iconic fashion doll has been wearing flat shoes more and more often over the past 25 years.

Where Barbie hopped into the world in high heels in 1959, in 2025 she will be walking more often in sneakers or loafers. The research shows that Barbie's feet are taking on an increasingly realistic position, less 40-degree tiptoe, more practical and straightforward.

The reason for the research? A scene from the 2023 Barbie movie in which Margot Robbie’s feet suddenly go flat , leading to a major identity crisis. “We thought, hey, has Barbie really stepped out of her heels?” lead researcher Prof. Cylie Williams of Monash University told The Guardian .

With a goniometer (an instrument for measuring angles) and a large collection of dolls, the researchers got to work. The conclusion? Until about 1990, Barbie always stood on her toes. Whether she was an astronaut, doctor or model, high heels were part of it. But that changed in the 1990s. With jobs as a McDonald's employee, paleontologist and game developer, the doll increasingly put flat shoes on her plastic feet.

By 2024, 60 percent of new Barbies will be wearing flat soles. According to Williams, that says a lot about society. Rules in the workplace have been relaxed and the expectation that women should always wear heels is starting to disappear.

“But we don’t have to write off heels right away,” says Williams. “It’s about women, like Barbie, being able to choose what suits their day.” Fellow researcher Dao Tunprasert also sees the change as a metaphor: “For 30 years, Barbie could be anything, but her ankles couldn’t bend. That says a lot about the rigid norms for women, including in the workplace.”

Mattel, the maker of the dolls, says it is proud of the development. "We want every child to see themselves in Barbie. That is why we are making more and more variation in skin colors, body types, hair color and foot positions."

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