Beauty is pain? Why platform shoes can be a health hazard

HERRIMAN — They're cute, trendy, and they give you some height. But platform shoes can also be dangerous.

"You don't think something this bad will happen until it does," said Lexie Littledike. While wearing her platform boots one day, Littledike tripped and fell in her garage.

"My foot just kind of did the whole rolling thing. So, I heard a pop," she said. "I went down, and I could immediately see the bone, the big bump popping out to the side."

Littledike had to have surgery for her broken foot. She's now in a boot and on crutches, having to adjust her lifestyle for what she says was a preventable injury.

"I won't be wearing those anymore. I got rid of those, and I was sad, but it's definitely not worth it," she said.

Experts said of all orthopedic injuries, 80% of them are foot or ankle-related, and the other 20% involve the rest of the body, like knees or shoulders.

"Any time you raise your foot up, you lose some stability," said Dr. Michael Holmstrom, an orthopedic surgeon at Intermountain Health's TOSH campus in Murray. "The foot is naturally flexible, and so as you walk, there's a certain bend in it, and you lose that if you have a stiff shoe like a platform."

Holmstrom said he's seen an array of fractures, ACL tears, and overuse injuries due to improper footwear. To avoid these types of injuries, he suggested finding shoes with good support and traction.

"Make sure you have good, safe, comfortable shoes, especially in wintertime in Utah," Holmstrom said.

Alternate your shoes so you're not wearing the same ones every day. And if you do wear platforms, start out with lower ones, and practice wearing them in a controlled environment — like at home — before going out somewhere.

"They're fashionable. For someone, it might give them more confidence being a little bit taller. You know, you want to feel good, look good. At the same time, just be careful," Holmstrom said.

Littledike said she learned that the hard way, and she doesn't wish her experience upon anyone.

"We always say, 'beauty is pain.' And I'm like, 'not in this instance!' I totally could have avoided this," she said.

If you do experience an injury, RICE, Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation, is a common treatment protocol. But more serious injuries may require medical attention.

"Any time there's any concern, especially if you can't put weight on it, you should see someone," Holmstrom said.

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