The
flat shoe-platform hybrid is currently popular with stars including Miley Cyrus
and Suki Waterhouse
Flatforms, which lack the discomfort of high heels or
steep wedges, may be summer’s newest footwear trend – but they might also be
the most dangerous.
Though the retro-looking lovechild of a flat shoe and a
platform may feel comfortable, their inflexible elevated form makes
walking on uneven surfaces a serious occupational hazard.
Vogue writer Liana Satenstein
recently revealed that she tore a ligament after one of the many falls she has
suffered while wearing flatforms, and in Japan, where they have been popular
for many years now, flatform-related accidents are widespread...more after the cut

Watch your step: Flatforms, the popular love child of a
flat shoe and a platform, may look pretty sturdy, but their inflexible
structure makes them tricky and dangerous to walk in, particularly on uneven
surfaces
Yamuna Zake - a yoga instructor who specializes
in 'foot fitness' and teaches classes on how to walk elegantly in high heels -
suggests that better attention to weight distribution can help wearers master
the art of the tricky flatform.
'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,' Ms Zake told Vogue.
'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.'


Flatform fanatics: The clunky, retro-looking shoes have
been popular with young starlets of late, frequently sported by Miley Cyrus
(left) and Suki Waterhouse (right), who has even designed her own line of them


In vogue:
Kate Bosworth wore shiny patent flatforms to this year's Coachella festival
(left), while Willow Smith opted for silver lace-ups at last year's BET show
(right)

Not messing around: Shoe brand Y.R.U. have gone the whole hog with
one of their recent designs, the 'Everest Platform,' which retails for $79
(pictured)

Origins:
Flatforms are a later version of the iconic platform sneakers often worn by The
Spice Girls, pictured in 1990
The flatform
concept was first popularized in the 90s - most notably by The Spice
Girls, who wore sky-high lace-up versions - although they didn't gain their new
high-fashion hybrid name until they came back around in style three years ago.
They made
another revival on this year's spring 2014 runways, with Tommy Hilfiger and
Alice + Olivia among the designers to send them down the catwalk, and they have
been spotted on the famous feet of Miley Cyrus, Katy Perry, and Willow Smith,
to name a few.
'If you keep your weight in your
heels, it is easier to keep the ankles from collapsing inward'
Suki
Waterhouse - British model and current squeeze of Bradley Cooper - has
even designed her own range of them for UK brand Superga.
Fans of the
esteemed flatform, however, would be prudent to watch their step, in
order to avoid falling victim - literally - to this current fashion fad.
*culled from dailymail.
*culled from dailymail.
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