We all know the illusion of a good Instagram pose. There’s the “skinny arm,” the sorority squat, the “belfie” and the “just suck it in.” And let’s not forget about the “thighbrow.” Now, there’s a new Instagram trend in town to make you grow a few inches for the camera: Barbie feet.
Yes, you read that right: Barbie feet.
What is the Barbie feet Instagram pose?
The name for this new Instagram trend was reportedly coined by Who What Wear. To achieve Barbie feet, you simply point your toes like you’re wearing high heels, and the Instagram pose can be done while standing, leaning and even sitting down.
“While Barbie’s plastic feet are permanently moulded into a pointed position, Instagram pros are whipping out the pose when they want to elongate their legs in photographs,” the site explains. “To master this pose, there’s only one requirement: to act like you’re wearing an invisible pair of high heels, even though there’s nothing but air under your arches.”
“From the front, it can be hard to tell you’re doing anything at all,” the site continues, “but from the side, you can see that you’re balanced solely on the ball of your foot.”
Barbie feet Instagram pose examples
Barbie feet are all over your feeds, even if you don’t realize it.
Here’s a look at some famous faces pulling off this Instagram pose.
Like thigh gaps that make your legs look skinner or upside down bikinis that give you an instant boob-lift, Barbie feet posture is yet another way to “fake it while you make it” with an Instagram pose, so to speak. It’s an illusion — remember that (especially since Instagram can have a negative effect on your mental health and the way you view yourself).
As the “Instagram vs. reality” side-by-side posts showcase, a good Instagram pose and good lighting equals a “flawless shot.” But that’s not necessarily how it is behind the camera.
Take, for instance, this collage from model and fitness blogger Chessie King:
Even she is doing the Barbie feet Instagram pose, but here she calls it the “tip toe.”
“It’s okay to find your ‘pose’ you feel comfortable in in photos, the tiptoe, the hip to the side, the one leg in front of the other…” she writes, “but it’s even better to feel comfortable just standing flat foot on the ground, smiling like the Grinch.”
For someone like me who’s petite, the Barbie feet trend is appealing — who wouldn’t want to look taller if they could? I won’t, however, let that get me down about my height.
If you wish to get on tip toe and try this Instagram pose, be my guest. But, I’ll leave you with one of my favorite body positive quotes from actress Salma Hayek:
“People often say that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder,’ and I say that the most liberating thing about beauty is realizing that you are the beholder.”
