Gaby
Researchers at Australia’s Monash University analyzed nearly 3,000 Barbie dolls released over the past 65 years and found that high heels are gradually being replaced by flat shoes.
The iconic doll debuted in 1959 wearing high heels. But as Barbie’s career evolved, she increasingly turned to flat footwear like ballet flats. Researchers point to looser workplace dress codes over recent decades as one reason for the change.
The study, led by Professor Silly Williams, found that the shift to practical flats coincided with Barbie taking on more professional roles. The authors wrote, “Barbieland is a dynamic environment with changing employment models and social policies.”
What else did the researchers report?
The research team, which included British orthopedic doctors, said the study was inspired by a scene in Greta Gerwig’s 2023 film Barbie. In that scene, Margot Robbie’s doll has an existential crisis when her familiar high-heeled feet suddenly go flat.
Professor Williams’ team analyzed the feet of 2,750 Barbies released between 1959 and June of last year, using a goniometer, Mattel catalogs, and a private collection of hundreds of dolls.
During the first 30 years, Barbie began exploring many different roles. She worked as a model, trained to be an astronaut, sold ice cream at a café, and more. Throughout that period, the doll consistently wore high heels, with her feet angled about 40 degrees to the ground.
In 1990, Mattel released the first Barbie dolls with flat feet, as reported by The Guardian. As Barbie’s résumé expanded—taking orders at McDonald’s, hunting for fossils as a paleontologist, designing video games, or selling cheese at a farmer’s market—she increasingly favored functional ballet flats.
According to the study, by mid-2024, 60 percent of new Barbie dolls had abandoned high heels.
Professor Williams said the trend reflects changes in labor laws and workplace dress codes over the past three decades. Even women in jobs such as flight attendants and bank clerks are no longer always required to wear high heels as part of their uniforms. They, like Barbie, are choosing footwear that better suits their roles.
Dao Tunprasert, a senior lecturer in podiatry at the University of Brighton in the UK, said the study shows that even dolls can mirror shifting social norms. He added that it underscores the idea that women should be free to choose their footwear—heels or flats—without judgment, and thanked the researchers for delivering that message.
Mattel said, “After more than 65 years of innovation, the last decade has marked the most ambitious evolution of Barbie’s design with thoughtful changes that ensure every child sees themselves reflected in the doll.”
“In our efforts to create dolls that inspire children, we have increased the diversity of skin tones, hair colors and textures, body types, and abilities, as well as reimagined footwear options to support Barbie’s bold steps forward,” the company added.
The results of the study were published in the journal PLOS One.
