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.

[Brokenness]

ItsAllGoingToBeFine
dseydododatdodontdeydo
The photo I posted was from a review here: baresteps.co.uk/2019/06/07/review-softstar-primal-runamoc-barefoot-shoes-for-adults-and-kids/
It's from a blog contain a bunch of reviews of shoes like this, which all tend to be niche products that you won't see in the shops. Her reviews are very detailed and include links for more info.
I guess mainstream manufacturers will start making shoes like this if they ever think there's enough demand.

[Sarcelle]

I have rarely worn high heels. I have never worn pointed shoes. Yet my feet are buniony and knobbly. I wear sensible shoes. Just genetic lottery.

[wonkylegs]

My mum who only wore heels for weddings and funerals otherwise she was strictly a comfy shoe woman and she has hideous feet
I wore heels for years, until I got rheumatoid arthritis (which is an autoimmune arthritis that affects my whole body) and although I have a slightly deformed big toe from the RA, (I also have a deformed finger and am heading for a hip replacement) my feet are great and in really nice nick.
I don't think you can generalise I know both men and women who have awful feet, DH could give a hobbit a run for their money but he's definitely only ever worn sensible shoes

[DidoLamenting]

As an aside, I much prefer the phrase “towering heels” that’s being used in this thread to the usual “tottering”

I used towering. The description of women "tottering around" or "tottering around like Bambi" on heels they can't walk on appears a lot on here. It says more about the people using it than the people wearing the shoes.

I don't think it's even accurate in many cases. The awesome colleague I was thinking of strides, not totters. I often can't keep up with her if we're walking somewhere.

[EBearhug]

I cannot walk in completely flat shoes; I find they aggravate my back and calves too much.

That is because wearing heels misaligns your body and shortens your calf muscles.

Complete flats, like ballet flats, aren't good either. A heel of about an inch is meant to be best, according to my doctor.

[Pollypocket89]

Reading all of the thread and knowing what comments my poor sister has thrust on her really makes me wonder why anyone cares what shoes/no shoes anyone wears. It's never occurred to me to be bothered about shoes other than the ones I'm choosing to put on my own feet

[ItsAllGoingToBeFine]

Complete flats are fine if you have strengthened your feet gradually first. Moving into wearing them for a long time when your feet have been weakened by arch supports etc may cause issues. Ballet flats not great as they tend to have to be too tight so they stay on, or make you scrunch your toes to keep them on.

[Strangerthantruth]

Fit flops brand shoes are fucking awesome. They have exactly the right amount of bounce, heel and sole.

[PositiveVibez]

I've never really wore heels. Tried platforms in the 90s, but ended up breaking my foot.

I was a raver so trainers were the norm.

My poor mum on the other hand. Her bunions, toes etc., From wearing winklepickers and stilleto's - well my husband seen them once and said he thought they'd been ran over 😂.

[uniquehornsonly]

It's from a blog contain a bunch of reviews of shoes like this, which all tend to be niche products that you won't see in the shops. Her reviews are very detailed and include links for more info.

I love the Baresteps blog and have got several good recommendations from it, for DC as well as for myself.

Fwiw, I hate heels so never wore them, but used to wear converse, winter boots with a broad 1/2 inch heel, etc. My back was utterly fucked up by these "normal" fairly flat shoes because of a problem mentioned by a pp - the toe box was pointy and meant I couldn't splay my toes as I walked, so they made me walk in a completely different way to how I walk barefoot (at home, on grass in summer, etc.). That way of walking put so much stress on my lower and middle back that I just though it was normal to have back problems in my 30s

Then I did some research and found out about "barefoot shoes" that try to allow the same anatomical freedom of movement as barefoot walking/running by using thin flexible soles and a wide flexible toe box. I bought a pair on sale, built up gradually to wearing them all day (as advised), and by the end of 2 months I never wanted to wear any other type of shoes again. All my shoes are barefoot shoes now and I haven't had back pain for 3-4 years.

Not all barefoot shoes look as extreme as the ones in the picture above. Some look pretty mainstream, like these Vivobarefoot Chelsea boots (pic hopefully below)

[Justanouk]

I have those ones unique!

[megletthesecond]

It's probably a combination of fashion, hormones and pregnancy. I've been lucky with my feet, although I've not worn heels since I've had dc's which may have helped

And I always people watch at yoga. It's the only way to escape the boredom as I can't relax .

[TwistedEyeOfHorus]

I haven't worn heels since pregnancy 22 years ago and always go barefoot at home. My Nan had crazy bunions from a young age and I'm hoping to escape them. If you can't run, your shoes are too high.