Celebrities wear INSANELY high $1K Valentino platform heels – how you can copy the look for less

Platform heels seem to be all the craze at the moment – with celebrities including Vanessa Hudgens, Zendaya, Dua Lipa, Emma Roberts, Lizzo, Beyoncé, Florence Pugh, Elsa Hosk, and Gigi Hadid all sporting the fashionable shoes in recent months.

Many of the Hollywood’s biggest names have been spotted teetering around in insanely high platform heels recently – with some of them boasting heels as high as nine inches.

The most popular pair of platform heels appears to be the Valentino Garavani Tan-Go 155 patent-leather platform pumps – which cost $1,150. 

And for those who are looking to purchase a pair of platform heels but don’t want to spend an insane amount of money on them, there are some cheaper pairs available by brands like Steve Madden and Shein – that is, if you’re willing to take the risk.

However, while they may look cool, the shoes are in fact quite dangerous due to the risk of falling and snapping your ankle, and many medical professionals have warned against the footwear. Olivia Rodrigo is seen in a pair of platform heels

While they may look cool, the shoes are in fact quite dangerous due to the risk of falling and snapping your ankle, and many medical professionals have warned against the footwear. 

Darrigo and Diaz Law wrote that the shoe combines ‘elevation with inflexibility,’ which is a ‘dangerous combination.’ The organization added that platform heels ‘prevent the foot from moving in a natural way, causing instability while walking’ – which can result in a stress fracture.

‘The most common injury from this type of shoe is known as a “ballet break,” which can occur when a person falls off a wedge onto the side of the foot,’ its website reads.

‘This can result in a stress fracture. Because of the lack of flexibility in these shoes, the wearer’s foot is locked into falling the way the platform heel dictates.’

Aside from the risk of injury, wearing the shoes long term can also cause damage to your feet. According to WebMD, platform heels can ‘hamper how your foot naturally moves when you walk,’ due do its ‘rigid foot beds.’ The outlet also said the shoes are dangerous since they put ‘pressure on the metatarsal bone.’ 

TheHealingSole.com also spoke ill of the footwear, explaining that they ‘disrupt the biomechanics of walking and make every step you take a threat to your feet’ because of the way they’re shaped.

‘As you walk, your foot is trying to bend a specific way but the shoe is making it impossible for them to do so because of how rigid they are,’ it reported.

‘Extensive damage is being done, especially if the heel platform is higher than the toe arena. These shoes put far too much pressure on the metatarsal bones as you move. A flatter platform may put less strain on your feet but they still aren’t recommended.’

A podiatrist named Miguel Cunha told Sunday Edit that the popular trend ‘adds more strain to our feet with every step.’

‘The extra weight and height of these shoes can not only increase the demand on the muscles on the front of the shin, but they also place more stress on your entire body with every step,’ he said.

‘Your platform height should never exceed more than three inches. And make sure that the difference between the front and back of the shoe never exceeds three-fourth inches, because it will alter your posture and gait.’

The numerous risks haven’t stopped many of the stars from donning the trendy footwear – in particular, the Valentino platform shoes.

Hudgens put on a pair of them when she attended the brand’s Paris Fashion Week show back in March. They’re a whopping six inches high, and she paired them with a sheer, purple, lacy dress by the fashion brand.

Olivia Culpo also towered in the shoes at the event, however, she opted for the black ones. The pumps come in five different colors – including two shades of pink, black, white, and a shade of tan called ‘Rose Cannelle.’ The former Miss USA winner donned a black, off-the-shoulder dress with puffy sleeves for the catwalk show.

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Kiernan Shipka wore the same shoes when she attended the Biennale Art Exhibition in Venice one month later. The heels perfectly complimented her black and white, plaid Valentino skirt and shirt combo. 

Roberts donned a similar pair of white Valentino Tan-Go platform pumps when she co-hosted a Bergdorf Goodman and Valentino event in April. As for her outfit, the actress sported a $7,800 haltered minidress from the brand, with floral detailing throughout. 

Hudgens put on a pair of pink Valentino Garavani Tan-Go 155 patent-leather platform pumps when she attended Valentino’s Paris Fashion Week show back in March

Olivia Culpo towered in a pair of the same shoes in black at Valentino’s Paris Fashion Week show. Chilling Adventures of Sabrina star Kiernan Shipka also wore them when she attended the Biennale Art Exhibition in Venice one month later

Actress Florence Pugh also wore the well-known Valentino shoes at the brand’s Rome Fashion Week show in July. She paired the look with a see-through, nipple-baring, hot-pink dress which left very little to imagination

Anne Hathaway was also at the event in the same shoes, which she paired with a glittering sequined gown with a ruffled waist and flared skirt 

The Valentino Garavani Tan-Go come in five different colors – including two shades of pink, black (seen), white, and a shade of tan called ‘Rose Cannelle’

Actress Florence Pugh also wore the well-known Valentino shoes at the brand’s Rome Fashion Week show in July. She paired the look with a see-through, nipple-baring, hot-pink dress which left very little to imagination. 

Her choice of clothing garnered a lot of comments from people online, which sparked the 26-year-old Black Widow star to respond in a scathing Instagram post, slamming the ‘vulgar’ men who chose to ‘publicly destroy a woman’s body.’

Roberts donned a pair of white Valentino Tan-Go platform pumps when she co-hosted a Bergdorf Goodman and Valentino event in April. As for her outfit, the actress sported a $7,800 Valentino haltered minidress

‘What’s been interesting to watch and witness is just how easy it is for men to totally destroy a woman’s body, publicly, proudly, for everyone to see,’ she wrote.

‘So many of you wanted to aggressively let me know how disappointed you were by my “tiny t**s,” or how I should be embarrassed by being so “flat chested.” I’ve lived in my body for a long time. I’m fully aware of my breast size and am not scared of it.’ 

Anne Hathaway was also at the event in the same shoes, which she paired with a glittering sequined gown with a ruffled waist and flared skirt. 

For those who are looking to purchase a pair of platform heels similar to the celebrity-favorited Valentino ones for a lower price, Steve Madden offers a pair of SkyRise Black Patent platforms cost $130. Shein also sells a pair for only $35, while DSW has the London Rag Alice Sandal platform heels for $70. 

Platform shoes have been around for 100s of years – since 600 BCE in fact, when they were used by the Greeks in plays. Early on, people in Japan also used them to avoid sinking into the mud while tending to their crops. 

Throughout Europe during the middle ages, men and women wore platformed shoes to avoid stepping in human and animal feces, since plumbing wasn’t developed just yet. 

Then, from the 1500s to the 1800s, the shoes were used as a status symbol throughout much of Europe – with the belief that the higher they were the more money you had.

According to Mic.com, Napoleon Bonaparte wore platform shoes that were 30 inches tall, while William Shakespeare had many of his characters in them on stage so that the people who sat in the back of the audience could see them. 

For a little while, the shoes lost traction, but then, in the 1930s, Italian designer Salvatore Ferragamo redesigned the platform shoe – using cork for the heels – and brought them back into the fashion spotlight. 

That’s when they finally broke out in America, becoming a hot commodity for women across the country, including Marilyn Monroe, who was often seen sporting them.

As the disco era swept the nation in the ’70s, they became even more popular, being famously worn by Elton John, Diana Ross, David Bowie, and Cher. And in the ’90s, the Spice Girls fueled the shoe’s appeal, since the girl group often wore them on stage. 

J-Lo was seen wearing a few different pairs of platform heels on her honeymoon with her new husband, Ben Affleck, in Paris, France last week. She paired many of her looks with Andrea Wazen Antingone PVC platform heels (pictured), which cost $620

She wore the shoes on four different days of the trip (two of which are pictured). She also strutted her stuff in a pair of custom suede platforms from Dolce & Gabbana on some outings

On day seven of the trip, she wore a pair of towering, white platform heels while taking a boat ride with her family (pictured)

Now, it appears as though they’re surging in popularity again. And while the Valentino ones seem to be the most popular, other stars like Jennifer Lopez, Olivia Rodrigo, and Lady Gaga have all been seen wearing other pairs of platform heels in recent months.

J-Lo was wore a few different pairs on her honeymoon with her new husband, Ben Affleck, in Paris, France, last week.

She turned the French streets into her own personal runway – putting on a slew of fashionable outfits throughout the romantic getaway. 

She paired many of the looks with Andrea Wazen Antingone PVC platform heels, which cost $620. She wore a nude pair of the shoes on the first day of the trip, while going out to dinner with her beau, and a black pair on the second day, while exploring the City of Lights.

She also strutted her stuff in a pair of custom suede platforms from Dolce & Gabbana on day three, which she paired with a $10,500 Gucci Nojum Floral Fil Silk Coupe dress. She put them on again on day six, during a lunch outing with her 14-year-old son, Emme.

JLo chose to wear the nude Andrea Wazen platform heels again on days four and five, while visiting the new Christian Dior restaurant and during a shopping trip to Sephora.

On day seven of the trip, she wore a pair of towering, white platform heels while taking a boat ride with her family. 

Lizzo raised eyebrows when she wore a pair of Yandy’s R/S Embellished Gun platform heels – which are seven inches high – while out for a hike at Runyon Canyon park in Los Angeles back in April 

Platform heels have become somewhat of Rodrigo’s signature look – and she often wears them to red carpet events, out to dinner with friends, and even on stage

She wore a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti platform heels while visiting the White House last year (pictured). She also wore black Mary Janes platforms while visiting New York City hotspot Carbone in May

Beyoncé was seen in a pair of Versace’s Medusa Aevitas platform pumps – which cost $1,575 and boast six inch heels – during a date night with her husband, Jay-Z last August

Last summer, Lady Gaga went viral for choosing a pair of lace-up platform heels by Pleaser Shoes (which can be yours for $112). The shoes come with a nine-inch heel, and many people on the web wondered how she even walked in them

The singer is well-known for wearing massively high heels, and she often sports platform shoes 

For those who are looking to purchase a pair of platform heels but don’t want to spend an insane amount of money on them, there are some cheaper pairs available by brands like Steve Madden (pictured) and Shein

Lizzo raised eyebrows when she wore a pair of Yandy’s R/S Embellished Gun platform heels – which are seven inches high – while out for a hike at Runyon Canyon park in Los Angeles back in April. The shoes are no longer available so it’s unclear how much they cost, but similar ones on the brand’s website are priced around $100.

The singer seemed to need help walking in the shoes amid the uneven terrain, and was seen holding on to a production assistant’s shoulders to keep from falling.

Platform heels have become somewhat of Rodrigo’s signature look – and she often wears them to red carpet events, out to dinner with friends, and even on stage.

She wore a pair of Giuseppe Zanotti platform heels while visiting the White House last year. She also wore black Mary Janes platforms while visiting New York City hotspot Carbone in May.

Beyoncé was seen in a pair of Versace’s Medusa Aevitas platform pumps – which cost $1,575 and boast six inch heels – during a date night with her husband, Jay-Z last August.

Lady Gaga is well-known for wearing massively high heels – and last summer, she went viral for choosing a pair of lace-up platform heels by Pleaser Shoes (which can be yours for $112). The shoes come with a nine-inch heel, and many people on the web wondered how she even walked in them.