(left: Willow Smith in Paris 2012/right: Willow Smith at BET’s “Rip The Runway”)
Forget stilettos, apparently you are more likely to break an ankle rocking the flatform, one of the season’s hottest trend. Flatforms, while offering both height and comfort definitely take some getting used to. According to Vogue, it’s also really important to be mindful of how you step in order to avoid injury,
So why are the refined cousins of platforms so difficult to walk in? It breaks down to two factors: Flatforms don’t allow the foot to naturally bend and their inflexible structure makes walking on uneven surfaces—where your foot most needs to move—especially dangerous. According to Yamuna Zake, a yoga instructor who also specializes in foot fitness and leads how-to-walk-in-heels classes, it also comes down to poor weight distribution. Her tip? “Distribute your weight from your big toes to little toes so you are never keeping all your weight bearing into one point in your foot,” says Zake. “If you keep your weight in your heels, it is easier to keep the ankles from collapsing inward. This keeps the ankles strong and feminine while also preventing swelling.”
