Walking the runway can be incredibly daunting, whether it’s your first time or your 50th time. It’s a dream most models aspire too; globe-trotting the world for a 2-minute stint city-to-city wearing incredible pieces by some of the world’s most famous designers. Whether you’re being paid to walk or walking for free, the hyped up atmosphere pre-show is enough suck you in week after week even with the threat of a broken ankle or career ending fuck up.
Considering the impracticalities of footwear, too-tight outfits and over the top accessories; when you think about it, there actually are so many things that could go wrong. Where sometimes even the biggest pay check is just not worth the risk.
I’m sure most individuals would agree, that when watching a runway show we’re more so involved in the models ability to walk, then the actual clothes they’re wearing. With the fact they’re able to place one foot after the other without falling being the biggest triumph of the show.
Yet even then, there’s sometimes little you can do in terms of prevention. For even the most experienced, practised and prepared have all had their down falls. From Naomi Campbell famously falling at Vivienne Westwood, Bella stacking it at Michael Kors and Candice Swanepoel stumbling at Givenchy; it’s become somewhat a rite of passage for models and their careers.
There have been cases where the shoes have been so full on, that even the world’s top models have refused. Alexander McQueen’s 2010 Spring Show for example, there were reports circulating that the 12” inch shoes were so scary, both Sasha Pivovarova, and Natasha Poly refused to walk.
A young Lindsey Wixson at only 17 sprained her ankle walking for Versace and our very own Abbey lee Kershaw had a bad run, first fainting at McQueens Spring 2009 due to a tight corset, and then having to take off an entire season, recovering from a torn ligament sustained to her knee when falling at Rodarte.
Luckily enough, for most models, their runway accidents are purely just that. With most gracefully composing themselves to finish the show, the fumbles and stumbles become obsolete and more often than not, reflect poorly on the designer than anyone else. Why would the designer let the models walk down the runway in sky high heels or too-tight outfits in the first place? 
Even Gisele once told the casting director behind Balenciaga that she wouldn’t walk the 2011 Spring show unless she was in flats – of course, which they then included because you know…Gisele.
But it just goes to show, that even though it’s your job, when your body is in danger it’s ok to stand up and run a way than risk the runway.
