Trendy Ugg Mini Platforms are potentially dangerous

September 23, 2022

Low-rise jeans, baguette bags and bootcut pants have returned, so it was inevitable that Uggs would also make a comeback.

The iconic early-aughts footwear is having a moment in a new smaller, yet higher incarnation. Ugg’s $150 Classic Ultra Mini Platforms are the shoe of the moment. The popular chestnut-brown color is out of stock at most retailers in all sizes, save for a women’s 12 and men’s 10.

They’ve “flown off the shelves,” an Ugg spokesperson told The Post.

Trendsetting A-listers such as supermodels Bella Hadid, 25, and Elsa Hosk, 33, as well as actress Keke Palmer, 29, have all been seen traipsing about in the boot.

“Nope” star Palmer even paired the sheepskin kicks with a sexy denim two-piece during New York Fashion Week.

Keke Palmer sported the suede-covered shoes during New York Fashion Week.

Gen Zers who were barely out of diapers for the first Uggs craze are jumping at the trend.

“They offer that casual leisure look everyone’s obsessed with right now,” Katie Coulter, a 26-year-old lifestyle content creator from San Francisco, told The Post.

But the season’s most in-demand must-have hoofers — and their two-inch platform heel — are potentially dangerous, especially for those taking selfies on the uneven, cobblestone streets of Dumbo or the Meatpacking District.

“[Platform shoes] could either lead to ankle sprains or worse if you trip and fall,” warned Chief Medical Officer of WebMD John Whyte.

A New York podiatrist fears that the boot could cause damage to a person's foot or ankle. — A New York podiatrist fears that the boot could cause damage to a person’s foot or ankle.

A 2021 article from the health site named platforms one of the “worst” styles of shoes, structurally, citing their rigid foot bed, which can hamper how your foot naturally moves when a person walks.

The research did note, however, that a shoe with a flat rather than slanted platform heel — similar to that of the Uggs Mini Platforms — can ease some of the pressure on the ball of the foot.

Others in the medical profession are less critical of the fall must-have. NYU Langone foot and ankle specialist Paul Greenberg agrees that platforms often do increase the risk of injury to the ankle. But, he tells The Post, a properly constructed platform, one that features a heel with an upwards arch at the toe-line, is an extremely foot-safe find.

Victoria's Secret Angel Elsa Hosk rocked the fall must-haves with a stylish cashmere two-piece. — Victoria’s Secret Angel Elsa Hosk rocked the fall must-have with a stylish cashmere ensemble.

Tastemaker Bella Hadid was recently spotted in the platform mini UGGs while eating a slice of pizza during a casual stroll. — Tastemaker Bella Hadid was recently spotted in the platform mini Uggs while eating a slice of pizza during a casual stroll.

Gigi Hadid recently donned the in-demand boots at a laid-back event in New York City.

“From a biomechanical point of view, shoes structured like this are great,” said Greenberg.

“They don’t allow the front of the foot to bend,” he explained. “When a shoe allows for a lot of bending and shearing in the foot, people develop pain and other issues.”

He does, however, caution against running a marathon in them.

“I wouldn’t play sports in them. But if you’re putting them on to walk around the city, they’re fine.”