Jul 15, 2026
Shopping for the perfect pair of pants is supposed to leave you with a new outfit — not a trip to the emergency room.
Zara’s $45.90 ”Flowy Wide Leg Pant” has become a social media favorite for its relaxed silhouette and affordable price. But online, it’s earned a far less glamorous reputation.
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Shoppers have dubbed them the “Zara death pants,” claiming the extra-long hems have caused them to trip, fall and, in some cases, suffer painful injuries.
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“These Zara pants need to come with a warning because now I have a fractured knee,” TikTok user Holly Gilmer wrote in a video that begins with her limping in the pants before ending in a hospital wheelchair.
Painful pants
Gilmer isn’t the only shopper who says Zara’s viral trousers came with a cost far beyond the price tag. Across TikTok and other social media platforms, wearers have shared videos of themselves tripping over the pants’ extra-long hems, with some saying the falls left them with bruises, cuts and even broken bones.
The concern extends beyond the videos themselves. Under Gilmer’s post, dozens of commenters shared similar experiences.
“Omg I broke my elbow wearing those trousers, thought I was the only one,” wrote one TikTok user who goes by Uncutlens. Another commented, “I fell over 7 months pregnant wearing these.”
Toronto, Canada resident Ellin Costa knows those concerns firsthand. The 50-year-old told CBC News she broke her wrist, suffered a deep cut to her temple and injured her face after falling while wearing the pants.
“Those pants almost killed me a couple weeks ago,” Costa said. “I need to get the cut on my temple glued shut,” she explained. “Half my face is still bruised and I’m in a cast for six weeks.”
Moneywise reached out to Zara for comment but did not immediately receive a response.
The videos are surfacing as wide-leg trousers continue to dominate fashion. Vogue recently described the silhouette as “one of those rare wardrobe staples that truly work for almost everyone, in almost every setting,” calling the style roomy, polished and versatile.
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Despite the online backlash, the pants haven’t appeared to slow shoppers down. Parent company Inditex recently reported $10.17 billion in first-quarter sales, while May revenue rose 11.5%, beating analysts’ expectations as shoppers continued snapping up the retailer’s trend-driven styles despite broader concerns about consumer spending.
“Zara is clearly still gaining share, it’s clearly the outperformer,” RBC analyst Manjari Dhar told Reuters, pointing to lower-priced competitor Primark’s weaker sales.
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The hidden cost of a bargain
According to the U.K.’s Fashion Times, the pants’ extra-wide, floor-grazing legs can wrap around a wearer’s feet while walking, increasing the risk of trips and falls.
For some shoppers, the real cost of Zara’s $45.90 trousers wasn’t what they paid at checkout. In the U.S., an emergency room visit alone can cost between $1,500 and $3,000 on average, before factoring in follow-up care, physical therapy or lost income from time away from work.
Costa said her fall left her with a broken wrist, a facial injury that will likely leave a permanent scar and damaged personal belongings, including her glasses and Apple Watch.
If you’re planning to buy the viral Zara pants or any pair with extra-long hems, consider factoring the cost of hemming into the purchase price. A simple tailoring job can shorten pants to a safer length and is likely to cost far less than an emergency room visit, replacing damaged valuables or taking time away from work after a fall.
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Victoria Vesovski is a Toronto-based staff reporter at Moneywise covering personal finance, lifestyle and trending news. She holds degrees from the University of Toronto and New York University, and her work has appeared on platforms including Yahoo Finance, MSN Money and Apple News.
