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Barbie gets flats, but more importantly, ankles

Source: Barbie | Mattel

It's finally time for Barbie to kick off those painfully high heels.

After more than five decades of having her feet perpetually frozen at a near-vertical angle, ready to slip into any high heel at any moment, Barbie is finally getting the chance to let loose with flats, according to The News & Observer. More importantly, though, she is finally getting ankles. (Tweet This)

For 56 years the world's most popular doll was joint-less from the waist down, but The News & Observer reports Mattel's new Fashionista line will give the doll ankles and offer Barbies with eight different skin tones, 23 hair colors, 22 hair styles, and 14 different face shapes.

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As nice as the updates to the doll line are, The News & Observer says Mattel is warning that Barbie still will not be able to stand up on her own.

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The move to introduce the new Barbie line follows a call to move with a "sense of urgency" from Mattel's CEO. Sales of the popular doll have struggled over the past two years as young girls increasing favored electronics and toys based on popular movies like Disney's "Frozen."

Mattel also makes Fisher-Price preschool toys and American Girl dolls.

Read the full News & Observer article here.