Sunday, August 26, 2007

Free your feet, free your soul

By coincidence, just as footwear discussions are raging around Bloggerworld, Melbourne's main paper yesterday had an interesting article about the tyranny that the fashion world inflicts on susceptible females.

The link to the entire article is via the post title, but I'd like to quote my favorite bit here:

"When I was young in the '60s, we rejoiced in liberation from stiletto heels and winklepicker toes — no more bull, no more bunions. A '60s mini-skirt required a blunt toe, a low heel, a free foot. Sixties girls strode down the street in their mini-skirts and comfy low shoes, cool and free, active politically and physically."

I can SO remember that. But why have so many women gone backwards? If anything the pointy shoes most recently seen on victims are even pointier than they were in the 50s and 60s.

But I should talk, speaking of pointy: pointe shoes for ballet are the ultimate feet killers, so I relinquish the right to say anything else about shoes!

17 comments:

Jellyhead said...

Yes, isn't it terrible that we mutilate our feet in the name of fashion... getting bunions, callouses and more.

I once wore some high-heeled shoes as a bridesmaid (the bride chose these tall, teetering, strappy shoes for us) and had numb toes on each foot for three weeks afterwards!! I thought I was permanently damaged!

Yes, ballet shoes are a killer I hear. But probably a lot worse on growing feet, so at least that wasn't the case with you!

Jeanette said...

Hi Val, Ouch! yes I think we all have worn those High heeled pointy toe shoes sometime in our lives.but now its comfort 1st.
and now the shoes are a lot pointier and my daughters love them and all were them the pointier the better.
Go Tigers!!! they came good at the wrong end of the season hope for bigger and better season next year. and yes Peter is very selfish having all that rain and not sharing a drop.

Merle said...

Hi Val ~~ Don't even think about football, let alone mention it!!
I can only wear very flat shoes now
which does not look great, but case of have to.I would fall off stilettos now- not that I ever wore them much. Thanks for your comments. My Grand-
father has been said to look like Henry Lawson as well. Take care Val,
Love, Merle.

Tammy said...

I used to have a supervisor that always wore heels...NO Matter What...we asked her one day why...she said...they make me look taller and more slender...of course she was one to cut the sizes out of her clothing too...teehee...she did admit that herself...could it be vanity??
I myself like fashions somewhere in between...and high fashion or no fashion, it all looks better cleaned and in good condition!
:)

Rebecca said...

Here the young mini skirted girls are wearing ill fitting, cheap, flat shoes. Only the girls who dress well and are mostly not of British descent are wearing heels. (Of course this is a bit of a generalization but it cannot be helped). Sadly, my heels are languishin gin the closet (well, two closets) because of ankles and a back that cannot cope with them.

Annette said...

Once more I see feet from the perspective of a shoe salesman. Think about having to deform your feet in those pointy shoes that force you to stand on demipointe (the front of the ball of your foot and your toes - for those who don't know the word). Now think of what that does to the bone structure in your feet and toes. Hammertoes, bunions, corns, and callouses are only a few of the problems I got to see. We are not made to walk on tiptoe all the time. Honest. Have you ever had to look at a good ballet dancer's feet? They aren't pretty nor do they last the long years of one's life without being painful when one ages. The pounding and abnormal stress of ballet shoes does it to them. Shoes are the foundation of your framework as breakfast is the foundation of your day.

Sorry, I get emotional about putting good sturdy shoes under a framework that will carry me all day long. Two inch heels are the highest one should wear and only when one is supposed to be sitting down most of the day. The high heels on most women are as limiting and cruel as the binding of feet that went on in China in years past. Sorry, the soapbox sprang out of nowhere.

Annette

Diane@Diane's Place said...

I used to wear heels to church and on other occasions, but not these days. My arthritis and foot problems won't allow me to wear them anymore, so it's comfortable, sensible flats no matter how dressy the dress. Not that I dress up often at all.

Have a great week, Val. :-)

Love and hugs,

Diane

catsmum said...

pointe shoes = hammer toes [ but I was spared the bunions ]
still every podiatrist in the world would take one look at my tootsies and say "Ballet?"

Merle said...

Hi again Val ~~ Thanks for your comments. Nathalia is a small town, but the gardens are lovely and we do
tend to honour our dead servicemen.
I didn't realize you had been here 30 years. Perhaps you better do the 8 Random facts. Take care Cheers, Merle.

Diane@Diane's Place said...

Hi again, Val. :-)

Yes, I make my own graphics and buttons for my blog. Some of them are very amateurish, but I enjoy working on them. I have several programs I use to make them.

I've thought about investing in Photoshop, but it's so expensive, and I'm afraid after I got it that I wouldn't be smart enough to figure it out, LOL!

Hugs,

Diane

wazza said...

Gidday Val,

Thanks for dropping by my blog and seeing the "Drop Bear" video.
What do you mean "you have way too much time on your hands". Shucks we wazs on holidays and it wasn't our fault that we stopped just under that tree where the drop bear was and we just happen to have a video camera handy. I think that's the first time a drop bear has been filmed in the wild.
Yep, have always like trams and steam trains and was most upset when they were taken off the roads in Brisbane in place of diesel buses.

Helen said...

Hi Val,
Just stopping by to say hello again. It was nice to meet you over lunch with Gina. I do hope the girls are taking note of how damaging the pointy toes are. I am confined to horrible orthotic shoes as a result of that footwear. (Also the fact that I crammed my rather large feet into shoes 2 sizes too small when I was 11, thus suffering a form of foot binding.) Oh vanity, thy name truly is woman!! I am not even allowed to go barefooted these days, when anywhere other than in bed!
Howver, the sun has been shining, I have been out watching the moon eclips to that lovely red shade, and am now catching up on blogging.
Cheers

lindsaylobe said...

Hi Val
It’s amazing as you say that today, despite the mountains of evidence of later foot problems; women continue to buy shoes that squeeze their toes into popular pointed-toe shoes. Wearing heels also causes ones foot to slide forward, redistributing your weight so as to bring unnatural pressure points and likely later life problems if worn for more than a few hours each day. Fashion wins out but does anyone else, other than orthopaedic surgeons and health providers?
Best wishes

Gina E. said...

Wow, this makes me shudder! Thank goodness Mum never allowed me to buy shoes that were anything other than 'serviceable and comfortable' - right through my teen years even after I'd started work and felt myself to be independent! Once I'd got to 18 and was able to get my motorcycle licence, boots and sneakers were pretty much all I ever wore except for staid 'court shoes' for work and going out. I used to dance every week too, so high heels were not an option - we're talking about jiving here, not ball room!! So my feet now are in pretty good shape except for a touch of arthritis, for which I have orthotics.

Cris said...

I am so glad I work from home and wear sandals all day! So, I wear these shoes only on special occasions. Lucky feet of mine! :-)

Joan said...

No more pointy high heels for me...foot surgery took care of that. For me, it's sandals with an occasional running shoe thrown in. Of course, there are those "formal" occasions when my feet are forced into dressy, closed toe shoes...but only the low heeled, rounded toe kind! Oh happy feet!

Kerri said...

Yes, comfort is a must these days. I loved the blunt toed, low heeled 70's shoes too, and still have the white pair I wore with my wedding dress. Nowhere near as fascinating as your wedding boots Val :)
I've been wearing "crock copies" all summer to garden in. Very comfortable!
I wear heels to church with dresses, but they're low these days. Sneakers and sandles are my preferences, but I have some nice comfortable flats for school.