Women cutting off toes and toes bending in for pointed toe s

Ben(Canada) · 18th February 2002, 20:30

Hi all:

Something has come to my attention. Call me naive, but sometimes I just don't know what is going on. I read a thread in the "For Gals" discussion that shocked me. Actually I was quite sick to my stomach. It appears that when people wear pointed toe shoes, over time their toes are forced inwards and so the toes may even point radically inwards and sometimes the other toes bunch up underneath each other. Since I read the thread, it is about all I could think of between then and now. So I thought I might get it off my chest by doing a little ranting. :eek:

Recently I saw a woman's feet like this. I thought she had a disease of the foot. I was very repulsed by the look. If most women like to wear pointed toe high heels shoes, and this is what happens to their feet, I am not impressed. I think it also was not totally a joke when it was suggested on a TV show that women even consider cutting of a toe or two to make their feet fit into the pointed toe shoes. Please, women, if you are just starting to wear these kind of pointed toe shoes, and your feet have not already become damaged goods, I encourage you not to wear these pointed toe shoes. You will not be receiving my attention in the future. If this is what pointed toe shoes do to women's feet, I don't think I can bear to look at another woman walking in this kind of shoe.

If most women like to wear high heels with pointed toes, my whole fascination with women wearing high heels might be totally reversed. I might start being attracted to women wearing running shoes or round toe flat shoes. I like style, but I don't like to encourage it when it damages the body and makes it look ugly. In my dreams I might like to think about certain crazy things, but when I am awake, these things quickly fade. There have been other things that have been promoted in the past as being fashionable, such as smoking. It might seem sexy to people, but especially when I see older women that are all wrinkled up, and they are gasping for breath, it also makes me feel ill when I see someone smoking. I know we all take chances on things in life, but I don't think we should be throwing ourselves into the fire.

Ben

[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-18 20:35 ]

Firefox · 18th February 2002, 20:59

My thoughts concur with Ben's on this matter. I don't think I could have put it better so I won't add anything

Francis · 18th February 2002, 21:08

my thoughts too.

it would seem that the people that have toes amputated so they can wear pointed toe shoes must also have had half their brain amputated beforehand.

Tom-NL · 18th February 2002, 22:21

which brain ??

Tom-NL · 18th February 2002, 22:44

Ben,

I also like to see the more pointed style of shoe (must have been a remnant of the female shoe fashion "en vogue" during my youth beginning of the 60s). There are those who like to wear heels, but for the sake of their toes' well-being don't wear pointed shoes, but rather shoes with a square or rounded toe (I think Jenny herself falls in this category, if I remember well).

I wonder if all shoes with a pointed toebox really have to squeeze the toes merciless together. Shouldn't that also depend upon how long or short the toebox is ? Seems to me that a longer pointed toebox, whose sides start to converge beyond the toes, need not necessarily pinch the toes together (Trolldeg calls them "clown shoes"

). Indeed, such a toebox would be largely "empty" (I think you mentioned this yourself in one of your previous posts). On the other hand: a short, pointed toebox would have sides that are already converging in the area where the toes themselves have to find room to occupy, making it probably much more uncomfortable for them.

If people would really have to cut off toes if they would wish their feet to fit into specific shoes with a pointed toebox (note the irrealis - I cannot imagine that any sane person would even consider doing that), I should say that they have bought the wrong size. Correction: they have bought the wrong last, and should need a wider variety of that size.

Perhaps members with practical experience could shed more light on this subject. Based on what they have written before, I am now thinking of Eva and Inga in particular.

[ This Message was edited by: Tom-NL on 2002-02-18 22:47 ]

Debbie(HK) · 19th February 2002, 01:54

You are kidding right :eek: Very disgusting imo.

I wear pointy shoes and my feet are not deformed and I have all my toes intact :lol:

Debbie

Laurieheels · 19th February 2002, 04:48

Cutting off toes is part of a Cinderella Pantomime where the wicked Step Sisters try to fit the glass slipper. I think the myth grew from there.

Tom had the answer, buy shoes where the toe box has room. I just make sure the size is large enough for my toes. I do not force them into the point, hell no. The toe point should be empty, and my toes safe in a rounded position.

Put it this way. Slip into a pointier toed shoe. Now feel where your toes are. If you have a ncie round curve along the line of toes, and an empty point, then the problem disappears, because the toes are not mashed into the tight space. If the heel is high enough, the shoes do not look like clown shoes, they look elegant.

My lower heeled shoes with pointy toes are larger in this way, and the lower heel can make my feet look a bit larger. That's not much of a concern so long as they look good and my feet remain in a natural state, with toes where they should be.

IHeels · 19th February 2002, 08:15

Hiya,

I also wear pointy shoes, but am careful about size ie, I try them on before buying, result no problems with my toes either.

You would have to be despirate to cut your toes off, pretty yucky actually. :eek:

Inga

Ben(Canada) · 19th February 2002, 18:13

Hi Debbie, Laurie, and Inga

Read your replies. It would be good if anyone could shed some light on why many women have deformed feet.

(1) Is it because they aren't smart and don't know how to pick shoes?
(2) Do the shoe salesmen push them into buying shoes that are too short and narrow?
(3) Do they think shorter pointed toes look nice?
(4) Are some women's feet wider and they want them to look narrower by buying a shoe that is too narrow?
(5) Do they find that a loose fitting shoe results in their feet sliding forward?
(6) Some women's feet are tougher than others.

Perhaps you could do the world a big favor here and in detail point out how to buy shoes so feet won't become deformed?

Of course I am also wondering how you are interpreting "feet being deformed"? Laurie, I read an earlier post where you said that your big toe has become slightly bent inwards through wearing pointed toe shoes. So I would like some clarification on that as well. Personally I do like the look of toes that all point nicely forward.

Years ago I once tried on a pair of semi-pointed toe shoes, some of the men's styles are this way. I personally was horrified at how they pinched the sides of my foot and how they squeezed the toes together, even when the shoe was the right size. Now that I think back, this is why I don't even look at these styles anymore. So I just can't comprehend at the moment how any pointed toe shoe that I have seen would not pinch the toes, unless the shoe was much too big. They seem to start the point way back at the ball of the foot to make it look right.

Ben

The opposite of pointed toe shoes are my felt lined steel toed "clown boots", maybe I could make a fashion statement with them.

[ This Message was edited by: Ben(Canada) on 2002-02-19 18:23 ]

Laurieheels · 19th February 2002, 20:30

[quote]
On 2002-02-19 18:13, Ben(Canada) wrote:
Of course I am also wondering how you are interpreting "feet being deformed"? Laurie, I read an earlier post where you said that your big toe has become slightly bent inwards through wearing pointed toe shoes. So I would like some clarification on that as well. Personally I do like the look of toes that all point nicely forward.

End of your quote
I wrote that? I don't own a lot of pointy toed shoes, they do narrow or sound... no I do not think it was me. My toes are still natural. That's not to say my natural toes are perfect, the smallest toe on my left foot has always had a problem with the nail and so that toe looks a bit strange. Lucky for me, most open toed shoes only reveal for toes, not all five. Other than that, the smaller ones curve down a bit, they always have. My feet look unmangled, thanks. I did mention that I have what I feel are long toes...

Why women buy bad shoes.
(1) Is it because they aren't smart and don't know how to pick shoes?

Yes. Some women are slaves to fashion and do not know how to pick shoes. They wear what they can get for the image only, and so they suffer. Image is nothing, Sprite tells us. Of course, they then tell us to Obey our Thirst and drink Sprite. So they create an image of Sprite as thirst quenching. Hypocracy, but I still like the basic message. Image is nothing.

(2) Do the shoe salesmen push them into buying shoes that are too short and narrow?
In some stores, yes. The clerk has told me a few times that "those look very nice" but it was not her foot rammed into a small shoe. Most are looking to sell, so they push items a bit. HOWEVER...
I was in Sterling last Friday, and the young girl working there was telling a young teenage shopper to take the shoes and wear them at home only for a few weeks before a party. The point - the clerk was actually giving good advice to help someone have a better time in shoes! I did not notice the exact pair, I was bust being disappointed by the styles the store had.

(3) Do they think shorter pointed toes look nice?
They may think they have big feet and smaller shoes make a smaller look. They also are a bad idea.

(4) Are some women's feet wider and they want them to look narrower by buying a shoe that is too narrow?
That is very true.

(5) Do they find that a loose fitting shoe results in their feet sliding forward?
No idea

(6) Some women's feet are tougher than others.
You know it!