shoes from Alexander McQueen fashion show

This is probably one of the best articles written in depth on this subject. This NYTimes article asked a number of experts why do we subject our feet to torture, seek out new heights and most of all why not only do we wear them? But why do we love them?

Here are some excerts from the article:

Nancy Rexford – Fashion Historian

“Women’s willingness to tolerate discomfort, even pain, in the service of fashion is often chalked up to the desire to attract a mate or to rise a step in the social hierarchy. But today’s extreme fashions may have more to do with expressing power and control — control over one’s own body, and the power to use one’s body to draw the gaze of others”

Anna-Marie Fitzgerald- book publicist – fashion blogger

“Elongating the leg and squashing the toes, a skyscraper shoe is an addictive, paradoxical combination of pain (ouch), power (taller, but you can’t walk) and beauty (a peep-toed sigh). That Louboutin under-lick of red is a tantalizing hint of flesh, the stiletto spike a phallic shadow and in one’s pinched toes — sensation there lies an exquisite kind of torture. We can’t honestly wonder at the agonies of the 19th-century corset or foot-binding when we’re obsessed with “the shoe,” can we?”

Marlene Reid – podiatrist

“When it comes to shoes, women should not have to choose between fashion and foot health. However, most women do need to make healthier shoe choices. According to a recent survey from the American Podiatric Medical Association, far more women (87%) than men (68%) have suffered foot pain due to footwear. Most foot conditions stem from the type of foot we inherit, yet the footwear we select can negatively contribute to the condition’s development. For example, flat feet are the main cause of bunions, but footwear, such as pointed shoes, can contribute to their progression and pain”

There you have it! Who says we have changed all that much in the last few centuries?

In any case the article is a fascinating read with a number of other experts writing on the topic.

 

Tags: crazy shoes, experts on shoes, fashion shoes, high heeled shoes, new york times article

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