Nicole Kidman's Footwear Fail Was Painful To Witness

Superstar Nicole Kidman has worn her share of daring outfits, and she's pretty much always looking sensational on the red carpet. But one fashion choice had people confused and in some secondhand pain. At the April 2026 red carpet premiere for Apple TV's "Margo's Got Money Troubles," Kidman wore a black and white outfit with a pair of high heels. She looked great in still photos, but in the video footage from the event, you can see Kidman raising her foot as she poses. It made it seem like she could barely stand while wearing the shoes, and it hurt to watch.

Why does Nicole Kidman keep lifting her foot like that? Is this a new pose I should know about? pic.twitter.com/3ip0hqT8UF

— Dr. Jebra Faushay (@JebraFaushay) April 10, 2026

Some people recognized the move as one they've done themselves. One person on X said: "I've done that. 20 years [of] high heels. It aches. Lifting your foot like that takes the pressure off the arch." Another person commented: "She has foot or ankle (or both) issues so she's trying to take weight off of that foot to ease the pain most likely. I used to do it back when I still wore heels."

There were also videos of Kidman as she arrived at the event, and she didn't seem to be having the easiest time walking with the combo of stilettos and a slim, fitted dress with seemingly no stretch. And even her fans didn't love it for her. One posted on X: "She can barely walk in high heel shoes, and at 58, that makes sense! I loved Nicole Kidman for the longest time, but she's taking this whole looking young [thing] too far. Aging gracefully is okay."

There were other theories as to why Nicole Kidman might be standing with one foot up while on the red carpet. "It's probably a habit from posing," one person noted on X. "There is a trick to tilting the hips to make your body have more shape in photographs." And someone else posited: "lifting the foot gives your mind a task and therefore stops you from thinking about your smile, which will be forced and fake if your attention is on it. Old photographers trick." Whatever the reason, she didn't look comfortable.

Kidman's shoes were the Gianvito Rossi Dorotea with just over a four-inch heel. If you want a pair yourself, they retail at $1,145. Though watching Kidman walk in them isn't really the best advertisement for the shoes being all that functional.

It could be that there's an expectation for women to wear heels to such an event. And it may be that Kidman wears heels, even if they might cause pain, simply because she can. Kidman underwent a style transformation after she and Tom Cruise got divorced, especially when it came to her shoes. During an interview on "The Late Show With David Letterman" in August 2001, Kidman was asked about her divorce, and she quipped: "Well, I can wear heels now." Cruise is 5'7" tall, and Kidman is just over three inches taller than that.