It turns out walking a mile in someone else’s shoes—especially stilettos—can be more dangerous than it looks.
Influencer and mom Mariana Vasiuc learned that the hard way after attempting the viral Nicki Minaj stiletto challenge that’s been sweeping TikTok in recent weeks.
In a video shared to Instagram, Vasiuc is seen standing precariously in high heels atop a tub of baby formula, which itself is stacked on a saucepan. With one hand gripping support from someone nearby, she tries to balance on a kitchen counter. But as soon as she lets go, she quickly loses balance—the saucepan slips, and she crashes backward off the counter.
In a since-deleted caption, Vasiuc revealed the painful result: a compression flexion fracture in her spine.
“Irony? Karma? Or just life, which always tests our strength at the most unexpected moment. 🤣,” she wrote in a light-hearted tone.
The challenge draws inspiration from a pose Nicki Minaj strikes in her 2013 music video for “High School”, featuring Lil Wayne, where the rapper balances effortlessly in heels next to a swimming pool. The trend has since taken over TikTok, with users testing their skills by attempting to balance in stilettos on all kinds of objects.
One particularly popular TikTok with over 61.7 million views features a nail salon worker balancing in gold stilettos on the caps of two nail polish bottles. Other inventive surfaces have included a Spam can, a toy race car track, and even a surfboard.
Vasiuc, who recently gave birth, shared an update with her followers after the video went viral, saying the accident catapulted her to unexpected fame.
“More than 50 people sent me my reel from different publications today,” she said in a follow-up post. “I’m doing great, following the guidelines, and now living in ‘star’ status 👌🏽.”
