Fashion Has Deformed Women's Feet

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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.

Very odd responses. I guess it’s a sensitive subject and we all want to think that we have agency over our lives but normally on the FWR board people understand the social context.

Suddenly lots of choicy choice lib fem arguments appearing. Maybe that’s good - a diversity of views on FWR.

The OP noticing people's feet and thinking about why she observes a difference between the men and women isn't judging them.

For those of you suggesting that childhood shoes are the issue: I wore wide, ugly orthopaedic shoes and insoles until I was 14. I never wore shoes in the house or in the garden. I had the bunion long before I started to wear the shoes that I wanted to wear.

My feet are average looking. They’ve suffered far more abused pounding the pavements in my properly fitted running trainers than they ever have in heels.

I wear heels most days, though think chunkier heels like heeled Chelsea boots or smart knee high boots. I dress this way through choice, most of my female colleagues wear flat shoes and even trainer type shoes to work. I walk miles comfortably in my heels and stand all day in them. My feet are fine.

My bro has size 13 feet and for years has forced them into slightly smaller fancy men’s shoes (his choice) causing himself foot issues.

There are so many different fashion choices available now that I don’t think anyone is being forced into wearing uncomfortable shoes. I don’t think you need to spend time worrying about other people’s feet.

Anecdotes about people prone to foot problems isn’t evidence that there are no problems with girls’ and women’s shoes.

I wear heels virtually the time and have lovely feet. Some friends are plagued with bunions etc. Sometimes it’s genetic not down to shoes. I got crippling plantar fasciitis from flat shoes and going barefoot

Women (generally) aren't wearing silly heels because they are downtrodden poor wee things, and doing it in a desperate bid to be on an even keel with men and to be taken seriously in the workplace, though. They do it to have an advantage over other women. (Especially those types who spend hundreds on designer ones that sit looking pretty in their closet)

They may, rightly or wrongly, want to look the best as possible on a night out (heels make your legs look longer, and your arse stick out.)

It's peacocking, pure and simple. You are always going to get people who are trying to stand out. Blame patriarchy if you want, but it also comes down massively to human nature. Men also peacock in various ways in order to compete, it just translates differently.

Someone funnily enough mentioned how men don't wear heels. Total side note, but the last time I recall someone wearing stupidly sized heels in broad daylight was actually a male in a long wig, Kardashian style makeup and outfit. Total caricature of what women are like. I took a mental note of what the rest of bio women on my shopping trip were dressed like... Mostly jeans, trainers, smart jackets, minimal makeup, medium length hair. You know, what normal women look like, without repercussions generally. Yes there will be scenarios where some out of touch cunt will penalise someone for not wearing heeled shoes in the workplace, but I would say that it's a really rare occurance. As long as you are smart in the workplace, no one will give a crap as long as you are decent at your job.

There is a certain irony about this post. What causes more health problems for women? Wearing poor fitting, fashionable shoes or the fact that they are put off exercise for fear of their bodies being judged at exercise classes?

Suddenly lots of choicy choice lib fem arguments appearing

Not sure it's even 'Lib fem' - just a subject which is of general interest, everyone has opinions and anecdata so it's likely to make Active convos on a Saturday morning. Which is absolutely fine! But, on a feminism board generally people try to think about other women, societal effects etc not just their own experience.

Also, if you saw my feet OP and assumed that high heels had buggered them, I would be really pissed off. I'm a head chef that wears steel toe capped safety shoes for massive long shifts, which probably more to do with my bunions than party shoes I wore once every 6-8 months.

I've never been a heels person, or pointy toed shoes ... my fashion conscious years were in the peak of grunge so DMs were where it was at. My feet are still shite and constantly cause me pain - genetics and pregnancy buggered them up. I live in trainers and DMs these days - with the occasional seasonal break out into flip flops and the subsequent plantar fascitis flare up because I never do learn.

I always had really decent quality shoes growing up as well - some people do genuinely just get unlucky in the genetic lottery with this kind of stuff.

I've never been able to walk in high heels, a low one is my maximum. I've very wide feet so narrow point shoes were out, and I can't walk in shoes that don't cover the top of my foot as they flop up and down all the time and doesn't stay on my feet. So I've reached 40 with fairly straight ok feet purely by luck.

“ got crippling plantar fasciitis from flat shoes and going barefoot”

High heels cause PF too. If the flat shoes were “ballerinas” those are crappy for our health too. And almost never worn by men.

about the idea that the main reason women wear heels is to get one up on other women!

A lot depends on what you’re buying.
I didn’t learn much from my mother but one thing she did impress on us was to always buy well-made shoes. I live for shoe sales.
I remember when everyone was buying Uggs and you’d see people whose ankles had clicked in so far that they were walking on the inside of the boot.
But even the best footwear won’t prevent orthopaedic problems if you are prone/genetically disposed to them.

It's not just fashion shoes, all shoes constrain and deform the foot, this is what your feet 'should' look like

this is what your feet 'should' look like

If you’re Celtic perhaps.

The OP noticing people's feet and thinking about why she observes a difference between the men and women isn't judging them

Sorry Errol but I think by calling the women's feet crooked, deformed and ugly the op is judging them.

Amazing UY!

My feet actually are a bit like that because they are so wide pointy shoes have never been an option. Still get corns tho because even wide shoes are not wide enough for me.

Should explain the I live for shoe sales: I wear a size 8. Finding affordable, good shoes is a huge annoyance.
I have spent most of my life arguing in shoe shops about why they stop at a women’a size 7 and only stock ugly shoes from size 8 upwards. It’s gotten better in the past 5 years but it always seemed that you were being punished for not fitting the standard.

I find it hard to believe that none of the men have ugly feet, unless there are only a couple of men.
Men have ugly feet just as much as women, if not more so.

I have worn high heels, pointy toes, ballet flats and kitten heels and have beautiful feet. I now mainly wear ballet flats or kitten heels around. No bunions, corns or other problems. I've never owned a pair of trainers as they are hideous. In the house I go barefoot.

I've got bunions but it's because my feet are very wide - wider than the 'wide fit' shoes you can buy on the high street, so even sensible shoes squash them.

New shoes are awful because it takes weeks of pain for my feet to win the battle so they're comfortable.

In the unlikely event I ever become rich, I'm going to pay someone to custom-make me some shoes that actually fit.

@Dozer What do you suppose it is then? If an item of clothing makes you look taller, with a curvier silhouette... Why wear it if not for competitive reasons based in evolutionary advantage? Again, it's peacocking. No one in their right mind would wear uncomfortable heels around the house, or to just to go to the drive-thru.
I know it would hurt to admit that women are competitive (even very deep down) with other women, but it's absolutely true.

The OP noticing people's feet and thinking about why she observes a difference between the men and women isn't judgingthem

Of course she is judging them. It's an excellent example of "I'm not like those other silly women"

I'd like to verify for the purposes of gender balance that the ugliest feet on the planet belong to DH who regularly gets me shrieking at him to get his ugly hobbit hairy toes away from me! (I'm funny about feet)