Posted on 11/16/2005 3:23:25 PM PST by pissant
Women, brace yourselves. There is a scary new cosmetic surgery that is becoming increasingly popular. This surgery has nothing to do with your face, and everything to do with your feet. In order to fit into more high-end high heels, women have begun surgically altering their feet to fit the shoe. Thats correct: cosmetic foot surgery. Read it and weep or rather, read it and freak out.
Cosmetic foot surgery does not include surgery to relieve pain or improve function; it is merely to change the appearance of ones feet. Common cosmetic foot surgery includes shortening toes, injecting silicon or collagen to the ball of the foot, and/or surgery to narrow feet.
Demand for cosmetic foot surgery has soared in the past three years. Celebrities like Oprah Winfrey, Katie Couric and Diane Sawyer have all gone under the knife for fashion. Business boomed beginning in 2003 for Dr. Suzanne Levine, the prominent cosmetic foot surgeon who preformed the operations on the aforementioned celebrities. She undertook 40 percent more cosmetic foot surgeries in 2003 than she did three years before. Levine was quoted in The New York Times saying, Take your average woman and give her heels instead of flats, and shell suddenly get whistles on the street. High heels make us appear taller and make our legs more attractive. They also cause distortion of the foots natural function. Women may end up suffering from bunions, claw and hammertoes. In addition to foot pain, women who wear high heels often suffer from shoulder, back, pelvic, knee and even jaw pain. Issues related to wearing high heels often lead to foot surgeries necessary for improved daily function. A 1993 study found that women have more than 80 percent of all foot surgeries, and that, women have more than 94 percent of bunion surgeries. These surgeries that are performed to alleviate pain and are not cosmetic foot surgery.
Cosmetic foot surgery is not just expensive, but invovles serious risks that could take a toll on ones health. Possible complications of cosmetic foot surgery include nerve damage, swelling of the toes, infection and chronic walking pain. The American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society issued its opposition to cosmetic foot surgery. When women put their health at risk for such a trivial reason, like wanting to fit into high heels more easily, that demonstrates how entrenched society has become in the patriarchy.
According to Dr. Gary Jolly, president of the American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons, men may have bunions but no pain because their shoes fit the natural contours of the foot and contain plenty of room inside the shoe. High heels force the foot into an unnatural position and often create problems where there once were none. If high heels can instigate so many health problems, why do women continue to buy, love and wear them? Actor John Berger, once said, Men act and women appear. Men look at women. Women watch themselves being looked at. I am sure a lot of women are planning on writing letters in to The Minnesota Daily contesting that they wear heels because they like the way they look and feel in them. Even I, at a meager 5 feet tall, often feel a boost of confidence from the 2 inches or so of height. But where is the line drawn between what actually makes us feel good and what society and culture have told us should make us feel good? Where is the line drawn between our health and our vanity?
Looking down at blistered feet this summer, I was complaining about aching after a long day of work in high heels. My friend Brandon asked me, Why do women wear high heels if they are so uncomfortable? I am still searching for an answer. Now another question nagging in my mind is, What would you rather lose, the shoe or the foot? Until I find an answer to Brandons question, and being confident in the answer of my own, I am putting my heels on the shelf and buying a pair of comfort soles.
Unless one is wearing them to the nearest street corner!
MM
PING!!!! LOL
Cruel Shoes
Anna knew she had to have some new shoes today, and Carlo had helped her try on every pair in the store. Carlo spoke wearily, "Well, that's every pair of shoes in the place."
"Oh, you must have one more pair..."
"No, not one more pair... Well, we have the cruel shoes, but no one would want..."
Anna interrupted, "Oh yes, let me see the cruel shoes!"
Carlo looked incredulous. "No Anna, you don't understand, you see the cruel shoes are..."
"Get them!"
Carlo disappeared into the back room for a moment, then returned with an ordinary shoe box. He opened the lid and removed a hideous pair of black and white pumps. But these were not an ordinary pair of black and white pumps; both were left feet, one had aright angle turn with separate compartments that pointed the toes in impossible directions. The other shoe was six inches long and was curved inward like a rocking chair with a vise and razor blades to hold the foot in place.
Carlo spoke hesitantly, "... Now you see why... they're not fit for humans..."
"Put them on me."
"But..."
"Put them on me!"
Carlo knew all arguments were useless. He knelt down before her and forced the feet into the shoes.
The screams were incredible.
Anna crawled over to the mirror and held her bloody feet up where she could see.
"I like them."
She paid Carlo and crawled out of the store into the street.
Later that day, Carlo was overheard saying to a new customer, "Well, that's every shoe in the place. Unless, of course, you'd like to try the cruel shoes."
Do you know that I thought
of you right off
cause I know you LOVE heels like me
the next heel thread I am on
I will give you a ring ;)
I was finally able to convince Joe not to go riding in these.
(I kid, I kid!)
I missed that one! LOL
Yeah, she's modest like that in front of everyone else. And I'm way too jealous to handle the consequences! 5'4", 105 lbs, and those boots in public- no, not gonna happen.
Nice shoes, I always found the ones with a strap around the ankle most attractive on a woman.
Saying for today:
Shop till you drop, THEN sit down and buy SHOES!
But he usually skips the jeans, no?
eeeeeewww!!
He's covered in fur like a yeti, so it's not so bad. LOL
When Mr PaulaB
asks why I need so many pairs
I calmy explain
that there are shoes for the public
and then there are shoes for him
I don't get asked after that..money
well spent is his thinking
**sigh** its good to be a woman ;)
Yup, I like the strap too, but have to admit, Paula's black shoes were nicer :o)
MM
You need to hang out with my wife. I would LOVE more of that attitide in my house!
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I'm going to assume you really were just trying to start trouble with this one, so I'll be nice.
I am taller than most men (unless, of course, I would have the good fortune to be in a room with an NFL football team),and I still wear high heels. Pumps, boots, stilettos, wedges, you name it, I wear it. Flats are ugly.
Of course I mostly wear flip flops and tennis shoes, or no shoes at all.
But if I am gonna dress up to look nice or cool, I will not hesitate to be taller than my husband. Which he hates. But I don't care.
A bag over her head and she isn't half bad! ;o)
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