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The Nicki Minaj stiletto trend borrows its visual cue from a pose associated with her 2013 “High School” music video. Social-media recreations later added a riskier twist: balancing in heels on objects. The original pose and those balancing stunts are related, but they are not the same thing.
What is the Nicki Minaj stiletto trend?
It is a social-media challenge inspired by a low pose associated with Nicki Minaj in the 2013 video for “High School,” featuring Lil Wayne. The pose is commonly described as a low position with crossed legs and high heels. Later recreations added balancing on objects, sometimes in heels, turning a visual reference into a stunt.
That distinction matters: depicting or referencing the source pose is not identical to balancing above the ground on a precarious object. Coverage by Know Your Meme and Global News describes both the video reference and the subsequent balancing versions.
Where did the pose come from, and how did the trend change?
Know Your Meme traces the recognizable pose to Minaj’s appearance in “High School.” Its chronology records an attempt to copy it on April 29, 2025, an early viral version posted July 8, 2025, and balancing variations later that month. The page attributes dumbbell-balancing videos to creators Imanni and Kristy Sarah, and reports that Kristy Sarah’s stacked-dumbbell video received more than 70 million plays within three days. Those dates and the view figure are Know Your Meme’s historical reporting, not a definitive count of the trend as a whole.
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Global News reported in August 2025 that hundreds of people had recreated the pose online by that point. That was a dated observation, not a current participation count. The available coverage does not establish how widespread the trend is now.
Is the challenge safe?
There is a meaningful difference between referencing a pose and attempting a balancing stunt. Elevated or unstable setups introduce a fall risk, while the low, deeply bent-knee position itself can strain the knee. Neither news coverage nor the historical trend chronology provides a controlled comparison of injury rates between versions.
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Dr. Jihad Abouali, an orthopedic surgeon at Michael Garron Hospital, told Global News that the position places the knee in “a really hyper-flexed position,” which can strain structures such as the meniscus or cartilage. He warned: “If you fall during that challenge, that could result in a meniscal tear or an ACL injury. Sometimes they land on their backside; that could result in a spinal injury as well.” These are a clinician’s descriptions of plausible injury mechanisms, not estimates of how often injuries occur.
Certified Pilates instructor and studio manager Melody Mulligan told Global News that online trends can look fun while putting people at risk, and stressed the importance of balancing fun and safety. The practical takeaway is not to attempt the balancing stunt; a trend video is not a reliable way to assess whether a setup or movement is safe.
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Did someone get hurt doing the challenge?
Global News reported that Russian influencer Mariana Barutkina, also identified in some coverage as Mariana Vasiuc, fractured her spine after falling while attempting a variation. This is a reported individual incident; it does not show how common injuries are. In the same report, Dr. Abouali said he had not yet seen injuries associated with this specific challenge when interviewed, while cautioning that similar online trends can lead to injuries.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can the pose be recreated without attempting the stunt?
The Tech reported that some users had shared tutorials for faking the pose. That report does not validate a particular method or establish that any recreation technique is safe, so it should not be treated as a how-to. The safer way to engage with the trend is to discuss or depict its visual reference without attempting a precarious balance.
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