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Feminism: Sex and gender discussions

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Original poster

Fashion Has Deformed Women's Feet

163 replies

Comenext · 22/02/2020 08:31

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.

OP posts:
Hearhoovesthinkzebras · 22/02/2020 12:28

It's really not very nice op for those of us with physical issues like this to see how we are judged - nice to know that people are studying my feet and privately declaring them crooked, ugly and deformed whilst blaming me for wearing the improper footwear (that I've never worn).

Maybe a more important question to ask is not about women's footwear but why women think it's ok to judge other women's bodies? That's a feminist issue too isn't it?

virginpinkmartini · 22/02/2020 12:31

@Dido Please reread my post. I agree that wearing heels won't make you get taken seriously, but many people seem to like arguing that women are pressured to wear heels in order to be professional at work. I would personally take umbrage if it was in a company's dress code, and would not want to work there. But as far as I'm aware, it's not a widespread problem.

SalmonOfKnowledge · 22/02/2020 12:33

I agree with @dozer it is a feminist issue and the fact that you've never bought in to wearing high heels to work every day for work yourself doesn't mean that millions have not felt the pressure to do that. It's still dress code in a lot of places!

My feet always ached after half an hour so I just stopped trying to wear high heels at about 22, a block heel i could do but any heel more than two inches, my feet will be throbbing by the end of the day. Not doing that to myself

virginpinkmartini · 22/02/2020 12:35

@Binterested Isn't that an organic thing that has developed between women, a symbol of one-upmanship and power? Competition naturally occurs between groups of people, so you could say it is a feminine issue with regards to the demographic of the shoe style. Could you think of anything that the men do in order to display power/ status?

DidoLamenting · 22/02/2020 12:35

Maybe a more important question to ask is not about women's footwear but why women think it's ok to judge other women's bodies? That's a feminist issue too isn't it?

Or judge what other women wear. That happens often on here. It's masked under faux naive disclaimers of course it's not individual women who are being judged but society which forces women to wear all horrible feminine clothes and shoes.

It's just another case of patting yourself (general you) on the back because you're not like those other silly women.

DidoLamenting · 22/02/2020 12:38

It's still dress code in a lot of places!

This gets trotted out- where are these places? I've worked for almost 40 years in offices with very formal dress codes- not once in any office has there been a requirement to wear high heels.

Binterested · 22/02/2020 12:40

Men do lots of things to display their power. But wearing disabling shoes is not on their list. That’s how you know it’s a feminist issue. If there was objective value in it for the individual beyond the status accruing to the women who wear them (sexual attractiveness, status against other women - whatever you think it is) then men would wear them too.

Binterested · 22/02/2020 12:41

We don’t have a written dress code that says anything about heels. But it is the norm.

DidoLamenting · 22/02/2020 12:44

but many people seem to like arguing that women are pressured to wear heels in order to be professional at work

Personally I think it's a really stupid argument. I can think of 2 or 3 women I've worked with who wore towering heels to work. Two of them were useless and the general consensus, amongst men and women in the office, that the towering heels were just another indication of how useless they were. The other is brilliant at her job and the general consensus for her is not only is she awesome at her job but she can comfortably wear heels most of the rest of us could not walk in.

exexpat · 22/02/2020 12:44

I have spent my entire life in sensible shoes and still have bunions, which started when I was about 10 and had never worn anything but properly fitted Clarks and Startrite etc. My mother and grandmother had them too. I would not wear heels even if I didn't have bunions (not into makeup/heels/nails etc and never have been). I hope no one in my gym classes is looking at my feet and blaming me for them.

exexpat · 22/02/2020 12:46

I didn't even wear heels in Japan (luckily foreigners can get away with it): www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-48504490

DidoLamenting · 22/02/2020 12:50

Some very interesting comments here about society's expectations of women

You might want to consider your own expectations and judgemental attitude before you start blaming society.

I don't go to a gym regularly and the occasions I'm likely to be in the vicinity of strangers' naked feet will be hotel pools and saunas. It has never once crossed my mind to look at other women there and be so judgemental about their feet or any other part of their body.

johnworf · 22/02/2020 12:51

My feet are one of my best features. I've never worn heels even when I worked in an office. For a start I can't even walk in them. My mother put me off with 2 bunions, corns, hard skin and other atrocities. Heels don't just affect your feet, they throw your whole gait out so can affect calves and hips too.

Saying that, if you like heels then wear them.

Outingpost · 22/02/2020 12:55

Oh gosh I never realised pregnancy ruins your feeet! How and why??

Antibles · 22/02/2020 12:57

Many trainers are worse for the big toe joint than anyone generally thinks. Look at the way some trainers curve up at the toe. It puts pressure on the joint at the base of the toe, the one which forms the bunions. Hardly any women's shoes truly have a big enough toe box for toes to splay naturally. They would look very triangular and broad, beyond any current conception of a comfortable broad shoe.

Antibles · 22/02/2020 13:01

I wonder if hormones have a lot to answer for too. I got my first bunion as I hit puberty. Other seem to suffer after pregnancy. I got very dry heels after pregnancy and they still plague me.

Antibles · 22/02/2020 13:03

I got a pair of chunky DM type boots once and they played havoc with my knees. For rid of them and knee problems vanished.

FannyCann · 22/02/2020 13:10

It is interesting how many poster say their mother and their grandmother had bunions.

Men have mothers and grandmothers too.
I wonder if it is a female gene.

Also regarding towering heels you are more likely to break an ankle than get a bunion I suspect. The orthopaedic foot surgeon I mentioned earlier said as much.

OneEpisode · 22/02/2020 13:30

Of course this is a feminist issue! If I compare the school shoes my ds is supposed to wear to those for dd one is much more supportive, and much more suitable for an active life than the other.. even if fitted at Clark’s...

Justanouk · 22/02/2020 13:34

It is interesting how many poster say their mother and their grandmother had bunions.

Men have mothers and grandmothers too.
I wonder if it is a female gene.

Well I have a bald father and grandfather and yet I, a woman, am not bald.

AutumnRose1 · 22/02/2020 13:35

feminism aside

it's funny, because if you're ever self conscious about going to the gym or a class, people always try to reassure you with "no one will notice".

I've known that was bollocks since I was a child, luckily. Of course someone will notice whatever imperfection you have and now they'll post it on bloody MN!

In the summer I get a lot of "why don't you show your legs". because they're covered in eczema scars. No doubt if I showed them, some idiot would comment on that.

DidoLamenting · 22/02/2020 13:38

Outingpost

Oh gosh I never realised pregnancy ruins your feeet! How and why??

Does it? My (rather pretty and dainty feet despite being in the sort of shoes the OP dislikes) went from a 3 and 1/2 to a 4 and 1/2 in the last couple of months. They eventually went back to a 4 - but other than that , they didn't change.

Outingpost · 22/02/2020 13:41

AutumnRose1

I agree! I never paid too much attention to feet.

My mum is insecure about her feet because someone told her they look deformed. I think they’re absolutely a normal variation of what feet are supposed to look like.

My feet are normal to me and after this post I went to examine them and then I decided I don’t care I will be happy with my feet and stay ignorant. As long as it doesn’t bother me or DH who I rub them against at night then I’m perfectly happy to not model for a pedicure.

Who cares honestly ? It’s attitudes like this that make woman feel pressured to do things that deform them... because they’re scrutinised even in a yoga class. MM

DidoLamenting · 22/02/2020 13:44

Of course someone will notice whatever imperfection you have and now they'll post it on bloody MN!

And in the Feminist section too - albeit couched in concerned tones (which aren't terribly convincing)

I genuinely would not particularly notice and definitely would not comment on imperfections. I don't say that because I think I'm such a good person that I'm above all that but because, to be honest, my starting point is the vast majority of people, men and women, myself included, look better fully clothed so it's not even worth noticing or commenting on- it's just life.

SnugglySnerd · 22/02/2020 13:46

I have really narrow feet. Pointy shoes actually fit me better than wide ones which tend to rub up and down or I walk out of them. My feet are fine.

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