The Barbie Team (from left to right): Barbie Fashionista (#171) wears a high heel white ankle boot, Barbie Fashionista (#197) wears an amazing yellow platform heel with ankle straps, Barbie Interior Designer wears ballet flats on both her foot and prosthetic limb, Barbie Paramedic has her workboots ready to go, Barbie Fashionista (#208) has Down Syndrome and uses sneakers to accommodate her ankle foot orthoses, and Barbie Fashionista (#210) models comfy yellow slides. (Dredit: Cylie Williams, CC-BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/))
In a nutshell
- Barbie dolls with flat feet rose from 0% in the 1960s to 60% by 2024, mirroring women’s increasing workplace roles.
- Professional dolls are far more likely to have flat feet; fashion-focused Barbies still favor pointed toes.
- Diversity and disability representation also increased significantly in recent decades, reflecting broader social change.
FRANKSTON, Australia — You might have noticed something strange about newer Barbie dolls compared to the ones from decades ago – many no longer stand permanently on tiptoes. This subtle change tells a fascinating story about women’s progress in society, according to research out of Monash University in Australia.
The Evolution of Barbie’s Stance
The study, published in PLOS One, reveals how Barbie’s iconic feet have transformed alongside women’s expanding roles in the workplace and society.
While 100% of Barbies had permanently pointed “equinus” feet in 1959-1969, just 40% did by 2024. It might seem like a simple design tweak, but there’s far more to it. Professional Barbies were much more likely to have flat feet, allowing them to stand firmly and stably. Fashion-focused Barbies, meanwhile, kept their tiptoe stance, ready for high heels.
“Barbie models her footwear choice based on task demands, being flat footed and wearing flat shoes when she needs to work on her feet, be physically active or more stable,” according to the study.
How the Research Was Conducted
The research team, led by Cylie Williams, a professor in Monash University’s School of Primary and Allied Health Care, examined 2,750 Barbie dolls made between 1959 and June 2024. To focus on dolls most children actually played with, they excluded special editions and only looked at mass-market dolls sold internationally.
Their analysis tool, dubbed the “FEET system,” tracked four key elements:
- Foot posture (flat or equinus/pointed)
- Equity (diversity and inclusion)
- Employment (fashion vs. employed)
- Time period (decade of manufacture)
The first shift appeared in the 1990s, when 9% of Barbies suddenly had flat feet. This trend accelerated – 28% were flat-footed in the 2010s, and by 2020-2024, the majority (60%) could stand flat on their feet.
More Than Just Feet: A Mirror to Society
Statistical testing revealed a strong link (r=0.89) between flat feet and employment roles, while the tiptoe stance correlated almost perfectly (r=0.99) with fashion-focused dolls.
This shift mirrors real-world changes in women’s employment. Barbie’s professional roles increased significantly from the 1980s, potentially aligning with the Women’s Business Ownership Act of 1988, which allowed women to own businesses without a male relative’s permission.
The researchers also tracked diversity. In the 1960s, only 5% of Barbies represented non-white ethnicities, but today that figure has reached 46%. Disability representation has grown from a single Barbie with a prosthetic leg in the 2010s to multiple wheelchair users, another amputee, and a doll with ankle braces by 2024.
| Decade | % Flat-Footed Barbies |
|---|---|
| 1959–1969 | 0% |
| 1970s–1980s | 0% |
| 1990s | 9% |
| 2000s | 13% |
| 2010s | 28% |
| 2020–2024 | 60% |
Rethinking High Heels
Rather than outright condemnation of high heels, the researchers propose recognizing that people simply choose appropriate footwear based on activities.
“Health professionals castigating high heels through public messaging, should remember that emphasising health benefits consistently drives positive behavior change, over highlighting negative consequences,” the researchers write. “Barbie clearly makes sensible determinations regarding her body autonomy; high heel wearers should have that same ability.”
Though the study might seem quirky, it examines serious topics about women’s choices, workplace representation, and cultural reflections of social change.
So next time you spot a flat-footed Barbie, remember that you’re seeing more than just a toy – you’re witnessing the evolution of women’s standing in society.
Paper Summary
Methodology
Researchers conducted a retrospective audit of 2,750 Barbie dolls manufactured between 1959 and June 2024, excluding special collections, country-specific releases, and dolls packaged with accessories like vehicles to focus on mass-market dolls with international distribution. They developed a “FEET” system to categorize each doll: Foot posture (flat ≤10 degrees or equinus >10 degrees), Equity (diversity and inclusion), Employment (fashion vs. employed roles), and Time period (decade of manufacture). A single author extracted all data, with 10% of entries independently verified by a second author. The team also consulted a Barbie expert and an adolescent female to verify their categorization system.
Results
The study found decreasing prevalence of equinus foot posture from 100% in 1959-1969 to 40% in 2020-2024. Statistical analysis showed very strong positive correlations between flat foot posture and employment (r=0.89), and between flat feet and time period (r=0.85). Equinus foot posture strongly correlated with fashion roles (r=0.99). Diversity representation increased from 5% in the 1960s to 46% in recent years. Disability representation remained minimal but increased from one doll with a prosthesis in 2010-2019 to five dolls with various assistive technologies by 2024. The percentage of Barbies in employment roles increased from 0% in 1959-1969 to 33% in 2020-2024.
Limitations
The researchers acknowledge several limitations. By excluding special collections, they may have unintentionally increased the prevalence of flat-footed Barbies in their sample. The correlations, while strong, should be interpreted cautiously as they don’t necessarily imply causation. Other factors not captured in their dataset might influence the relationships observed. The authors also note that future research is needed to explore whether Barbie is reflecting societal changes or actively influencing them.
Funding and Disclosures
The authors received no specific funding for this work and declared no competing interests. The study did disclose that four of the five authors owned and played with Barbies during childhood, one author wears high heels at least three days per week, three have worn high heels intermittently, and one has never worn a heel higher than 12mm—acknowledging their potential personal reflexivity and its influence on the research.
Publication Information
The study “Flat out Fabulous: How Barbie’s foot posture and occupations have changed over the decades, and the lessons we can learn” was published in PLOS One on May 14, 2025. The paper was authored by Cylie Williams, Kristin Graham, Ian Griffiths, Suzanne Wakefield, and Helen Banwell, representing institutions in Australia and the United Kingdom including Monash University, University of South Australia, Queen Mary University of London, and an independent Barbie collector from Melbourne.
