Fashion Has Deformed Women's Feet

[Comenext]

Not sure where to put this thread.
I joined a Yoga class recently and we all do it barefoot.
I can't help noticing how crooked and deformed the other women's feet look. Really shameful how pointed shoes have squashed their big toes out of line. There is also a tendency to have a big toe joint that looks swollen and puffy.
Thank goodness I never wore high fashion pointy high heeled shoes.
There is a lot to be said for trainers! (Just joking. I know trainers can have their downside too)
It makes me angry that none of the men in the yoga class have these ugly feet. Reminiscent of the ancient foot-binding of women.

I have never worn heels, or pointy flats etc. I wear trainers most of the time.

My feet have been all crooked and since my second pregnancy, that was what caused me problems.

I don't know, my feet are odd and I have never worn heels or pointed shoes

But congratulations on your beautiful feet. Mine have never been pretty, but it’s not down to fashionable shoes.

Luckily I have a nice face

Plenty of men with ugly feet and bunions at my swimming club.

I thought bunions were largely hereditary anyway, not helped by poor footwear but not caused by it.

I've got very wide feet, I can wear mens shoes easily (well, if more that weren't school shoes came in a 6). I have never squashed my feet in to shoes, I wear shoes that fit my feet. My feet are lumpy and ugly... I imagine that while the shoes don't help, it's partly luck.

I bought a pair of pointy court shoes back in the 80s. My mum said "oh I used to wear ones like that", she would have been in her 40s and her bunions were already causing problems.

I barely wore those shoes again and only wear mostly flat, rounded shoes since.

Ridiculous damaging footwear which requires skill to walk in is a feminist issue.

I do yoga classes daily. I also have bunions, like my father and grandmother neither of whom wore Ill fitting high heeled shoes. Yoga has improved them immensely.

I very rarely wear heels, even in my youth I preferred flat shoes. I still have bunions, they're hereditary... though mine are far less bad than my mum's, as she did ballet.

Another one here who has never worn high-heeled shoes. My feet problems were caused by my genes and pregnancy. (Went from narrow high-arched feet to wide flat feet very quickly!)

Ever seen the feet of an ex dancer? Now ballet really messes up your feet.

Obviously this affects women more than men. I just looked it up - bunions are 10 times more prevalent in women than men. Partly high heeled shoes partly the impact of pregnancy.

I’m ‘lucky’ that my feet are very weirdly shaped anyway so I could never really wear high heels so my feet are basically ok still. But I’m still at the chiropodist once a quarter because even flat shoes are not foot shaped. I don’t know any men who have to do this.

I don't wear shoes like that. I once tried on shoes that like that and when they didn't fit the shop assistant said it was because I "hadn't broken my feet in yet".

I find it difficult to buy shoes as my toes are more or less straight across at the ends.

I’ve never worn pointy or heeled shoes and I have bunions. As did my mother and her month we before her

Why are you looking at other people's feet in the class instead of concentrating on your own breathing and movements? It's not a beauty contest.

Mine too, Justajot! I also have disproportionately short toes, so short shoes don’t fit in the right places.

Luckily I’m happy to be a scruff.

Me too Justajot! My feet look like babies’feet - almost perfectly rectangular - shaped more like the shoe box than the shoe

Maybe it's also the cheap shitty shoes with no arch support that people insist on buying from the likes of primark, etc. Or not buying wide fit shoes because they aren't always available in the desired style. Or people wearing shoes indoors as opposed to letting their feet 'breathe.' Could be from pregnancy.. I honestly don't think that most women are going round in high heels often enough to deform their feet. It's an anomaly for me to see a woman in the supermarket or High Street in High heels.

Round here it's only the last few years that the majority of women have stopped wearing heels and unsupportive shoes for work and social occasions.

Also, the way you've titled this thread makes it sound like fashion has 'happened' to women, and 'made their feet deformed.' The general consensus with me and my friends for example, is that we would much rather be comfortable on a night out and wear flats. If other easily impressionable people want to potentially break their necks from wearing 6 inch heels, that's their choice. Women have agency, and I can think of no repercussions for deciding to not wear them. The fashion industry is run by women and gay males, so it's basically up to ourselves what the demand is.

Wasn’t there a reported ‘thing’ a few years back for pinky toe Amputation to fit into teensy pointy toed shoes (or was that fashion rag nonsense or an urban myth?)

This made me laugh! What a load of nonsense!

My feet are minging. But I have probably only worn heels 4 times in my life.

Yes everyone has free will, but everyone also is influenced by societal expectations and to deny that for many people that those expectations control their choices is a tad naive.

Yes women have agency but have you noticed that men, who also have agency, tend not to wear high heels? What else do you think might be going on there to explain the different choices ?

I loved heels, could dance all night no issues. Never wore pointy shoes. Unfortunately pregnancy made my feet much wider as the arches flattened, and also made the old injuries I had worse.
Still can't wear completely flat shoes though.

I have dreadful feet, have had bunion surgery. The women in my family (and my male cousin) all have or had bunions. I now have severe arthritis in the big toe joint and, in my sixties, find it painful to walk.
I very rarely wore high heels and certainly have not done in the past 30 years. I find it it very difficult to find any shoes to fit now.

It is largely genetic, not a fashion victim problem. It’scertainly not merely cosmetic.