Stiletto surgery. This picture isn’t real. But it’s not far from the truth.
Let’s file this one under: Insane First World Surgeries That Are INSANE.
You walk into a store and try on a pair of stilettos. They don’t fit quite right. Your toes are a little squashed. Your heels hurt when you walk.
Do you (a) put down the shoes and try another pair? Or (b) use your speed dial to get in touch with your go-to plastic surgeon and book an appointment to HAVE YOUR TOES SURGICALLY REMOVED.
If you DID go for option (b), unbelievably, you’re not the only one who had a big bowl of Crazy for breakfast. There has been a marked increase in the number of women who are having surgical foot alterations to make their high heels more comfortable.
DEEP BREATHS AND TRY NOT TO THINK OF THE PEOPLE IN THIRD WORLD COUNTRIES WHO CANNOT AFFORD TO FEED THEIR CHILDREN OR SEND THEM TO SCHOOL.
A growing number of women are paying thousands of dollars to surgically alter their feet just to make wearing heels a more comfortable experience.
Surgical procedures such as shortening toes, receiving foot injections and even completely cutting off pinky toes are on the rise.
“Unless you’ve been there, and you can’t find shoes, and you’re in pain, don’t judge,” said Susan Deming, a patient who recently underwent a toe-shortening procedure.
“I was having calluses, and just, all sorts of problems with my left foot. And there finally was a solution. There’s never been a solution before,” said Deming.
We’re putting this in the same messed up basket called ‘WTF’ along with designer vaginas and butt implants.
Because what’s a little unnecessary surgery and total loss of balance, when you can wear sky-high heels as much as you like and keep your legs looking fabulous, right?
CONFESS: What’s the dumbest thing you’ve done in the name of beauty/fashion/style?
Comments
65 Comments so far
Ladies, time to start complaining to all the shoe companies. They make shoes too narrow, flat or high. Ballet flats are just as bad for you. They overcharge for flimsy pieces of crap and it’s ridiculous.
Anything supposedly comfortable=ugly disgusting square toed. i hate kumfs for not bothering to take a leaf out of the fashionable designer shoes to create something good for your feet with the right support but also fashionable.
Stop buying shoes and start telling wittner, diana ferrari, zomp etc why you won’t be buying their shoes.
all the companies sell the same crappy designs and insist on making them sky high.
i was so happy in europe – they don’t make shoes that high, or if they do, it’s not the majority of choices.
loading...
Maybe strange, but I don’t want to be too judgemental about it. If I had the money I would get plastic surgery on my face. I get made fun of and people are often rude to me because I don’t have a pretty face. Guys don’t like me because I am the ugliest woman on the planet. Anyway, I’ve talked about getting surgery to look prettier so people can be nice to me and people scoff at me for wanting to spend money on it. I think getting plastic surgery is the only way I will ever get in a relationship. So I don’t want to judge people for this.
loading...
No need to file this in your WTF basket, it’s not so left field at all. In fact, I often considered having it done back in the 80s and 90s. I have really horrible, weird little-toes that just don’t work with high heels – or many strappy shoes of any heel height. Some of us just have little toes that just get in the way.
And how much hypocrisy did it take to write this article? Breast implants are ok? A nose job or other face work is ok? A tummy tuck is ok? Cosmetic dentistry is ok? And spending ridiculously large amounts on designer clothes is ok? But surgically remove a toe so shoes fit better is deemed WTF? Obviously the person who wrote this article has perfect feet and no shame.
loading...
I used to wear high heels a lot – and they were never as high as the photoshopped foot above – but I haven’t been able to for a couple of years.
Although I’m only 44, osteoarthritis in my feet (the same joint that you get bunions on) means I’m restricted to flat and very low heels. My toes don’t bend far enough for me to wear even medium heels.
I do miss heels but I’m trying to like flat shoes – loud socks with maryjane flats is fun.
loading...
we are so disrespectful our bodies.
If it hurts, then your body is telling you something- STOP IT!
Another point:
This is comparable to the foot-binding that used to occur in China, which most people consider barbaric. IT was done so little girls would grow up sexy.
loading...
I first heard about this years ago! When Carrie and the SATC girls were wearing mind-numbingly-painful stilettos… Apparently it was quite common for NYC girls to try and squeeze into insanely tight pointy shoes. Am I the only one who remembers?
loading...
I can understand this.After all very few people here say that they like the way there feet look. We would all like it if all of the shoes in our size fitted perfectly.
loading...
A few years back my mother had corrective surgery on one of her feet to fix a bunion she received as a result of wearing high heels for years. She’s had pain ever since the surgery so I don’t know why anyone would elect to do this to themselves. Yes, the shoe may hurt but surely the surgery recovery would hurt more?
loading...
This article highlights the hypocrite in all of us that has believes that breast implants, Botox and nose jobs are ok but butt implants aren’t (because they don’t fit into the western aesthetic). This article seems like a bit of a cheap shot – particularly as the patient interviewed does seem to have a medical issue, rather than just fickle taste in footwear. I also feel that the whole ‘label it a first world problem’ thing is redundant – it’s apologing for a lifestyle that we have no intention of giving up (online shopping, anyone?).
loading...
I had a school teacher who did this. She was an absolute shoe addict, literally never wore the same stilettos twice. She told us she used to be a ballerina and had calluses from dancing so she said she had her toes “shaved down” so that she could more easily fit into a size 6 heel…
loading...
what a great role model for you.
loading...
That picture is seriously creeping me out. As with the cutting off of toes so heels are more comfortable. Seriously, why?!! Anyway, my physiotherapist told me that wearing high heels can cause damage to the back and ankles. My cousin had a friend who broke her ankle from tripping over in high heels.
I’m very short (5’2”) so I do wear them when I go out, they make my butt look smaller and legs longer. But every day? Yeah no thanks. If a pair of shoes don’t fit me properly or are too uncomfortable/too high, I won’t buy them, even if they are amazing!
loading...
This reminds me of chinese foot-binding.
loading...
Thats insane,you are perfect in every way……why waste money to end up looking like a freak…naturally does it
loading...
Maybe its time women started demanding shoes to fit their feet rather than making feet fit shoes that are held up as ‘fashionable’.
loading...
Great to see you meet with the PM. she’s an inspirational woman. Re: the removal of little toes for stilettos. This was done during the 1960s as well which is a bit sad really and suggests that the women’s movement has a bit to do yet.
loading...
I don’t know that it’s got a lot to do with the women’s movement, en masse.
More to do with those with frail egos and a hint of vanity that really serves no purpose in the long run.
loading...
I can see the appeal in this. I don’t think I could ever bring myself to actually go through with surgery, but shorter feet would be nice. I have size 11 women’s feet, They are quite attractive (ie no bunions, calluses etc) and I like them, but they are long with long toes and have high arches. I find it very hard to find women’s shoes long enough. Many brands say they sell size 11, but these often aren’t long enough. I buy men’s shoes when I can (ie joggers, thongs, hiking boots), but often these are too wide. When I do find shoes long enough and narrow enough, they usually have no support in the arch. Wearing orthodics doesn’t solve this as shoes no longer fit when I put orthodics in – they were snug enough to begin with. I have tried finding courses to learn how to make my own shoes, so I can have a steady supply of shoes that fit and are to my tastes, but there is a shirtage of affordable cobbler courses in Sydney and with funding being taken out of TAFE I don’t think there will be classes anytime soon.
loading...
Move to Darwin! http://www.comparecourses.com.au/Course/introduction-to-shoemaking-16058.htm for the long course and there are shorter weekend courses available too.
I am a sasquatch with a size 44/12.5 foot with my 11 year old trying desperately to catch up. It’s impossible to buy women’s shoes in my size not because the are not being made but because the buyers don’t care. So the last $1K I spent on shoes went to the USA rather than Australian businesses.
loading...
Bigfoot, not that you’ll likely ever see this, talk to Birdsall Leather in Botany, Sydney. http://birdsall-leather.com.au/
They have leatherworking courses and all the equipment and consumables you’ll need to learn to make your own. Amazon, etc can help with finding books for new designs, or other techniques.
As you probably know, Melbourne seems to be the Last Bastion of Student Cordwainers. (Shoemakers!) Perhaps a spot of distance education can be arranged? Youtube can provide many an instructional video.
Ask around at cordwainers, leather workers and cobblers (shoe repair!) stores for anyone willing to lend a learner some experience and a masterclass or two, take a few pictures of successes from your portfolio. If you can find one of those old Italian family businesses, you just might be set!
From left field, you can try looking for medieval recreationalists, ‘medievalists’ or Historically Accurate stuff. Their designs will be a fine starting point for the beginner, they even do craft courses, (it worked for me!) and you can take the product to a cobbler or cordwainer (even a retired one) and learn a thing or two from an old master, as you work to raise it to support your heels and arches, as it’ll already fit perfectly for length and width. (I have wide feet, you’ll be fine!)
loading...
Because this is way weirder than breast implants how exactly?
loading...
I loooove this comment!
loading...
I get it. I have weird shaped feet – a very high arch and very wide at the front. Very few shoes comfortably fit. I wear Birkenstock sandals most of the time because they have good arch support but only one particular design because with the rest of them my foot is too wide and hangs over the side of the shoe. It took a long time and visits to several Birkenstock shops before I found a design that fit, now I order multiple pairs of the same shoe direct from Germany once a year. I would probably have surgery if I could afford it. I could never wear ballet flats or high heels,even most sneakers are a problem. Maybe the women getting surgery have similar problems, I imagine it would be a real nuisance if you need to wear high heels for work or something.
loading...
I have feet like Fred Flintstone.
It’s not fair. I want the pointy little sling backs. The stilettos. Even the cute little ballet flats.
loading...
OMG…this is just sick. What is happening to the world and the brains of the people in it….?
loading...
That picture is freaking me out!!
loading...
Ugh!! Totally agree!
Every time I look at it I shudder…
loading...
The recent Mission Australia survey had body dissatisfaction ranked at number three for girls. This is yet another symptom.
We women are so much more than the sum of our body parts. So many have bought into the lie of physical perfection. We need to remember that we have brains, personalities, skills and talents.
Cosmetic surgery so that we can fit into ridiculous shoes? Sigh……
loading...
Look after your feet or you will regret it later….
P.S. Life’s too short to put up with high heels, I reckon!
loading...
I would love to have an operation to fix my foot pain. I have compartment syndrome in my lower legs which means constant foot pain whilst walking, even short distances. I can’t wear flat shoes at all and thongs are a particular kind of hell. I’ve been through 8 pairs of orthodics (they cost about $500+ each) and still struggling to find appropriate treatment. Podiatry is incredibly expensive and if cutting a toe off stopped the pain (it wouldn’t but I mean hypothetically) I would be all for it.
loading...
I’ve had a bunion operation. Partly to fit into shoes, but mainly because I was in agony when walking (even barefoot). So it’s not all just done for cosmetic reasons.
loading...
Yeah…. Not even in the same basket. Fellow bunioner here – yes they look fairly unattractive in thongs and sandals. But they worsen over time, and need surgery to correct the foot alignment. It’s also a painful op, and if there was an alternative we’d try that.
loading...
I would love to get my bunion removed I’m in so much pain
what’s the down time for surgery? In went shopping today and felt like crying by the end of the day. Ouch.
loading...
If I recall correctly, in the original Cinderella, the two ugly stepsisters sliced off their big toes in order to fit the glass slipper.
No real relevance to the article; it just reminded me!
loading...
I must have read the “soft” version of Cinderella where the ugly stepsisters just couldn’t squeeze their big feet into the slippers. Fairytales are brutal!
loading...
In all fairness – I worked in a shoe store and I have seen some shocking feet.
I don’t necessarily mean aesthetically – bunions so bad that the angle of the toes are shifted into a 45 degree angle or the toes are clawing over one another and causing a severe amount of pain.
A lot of this is hereditary though – not caused solely by bad footwear. So I don’t think it’s all in the name of vanity.
loading...
Hmmm I’ve been seriously contemplating foot surgery. I seriously hate shoe-shopping, just about everything hurts my feet. I wear high heels maybe half a dozen times a year, when I absolutely have to. The rest of the year I wear ballet flats – at home I opt to go barefoot.
It’s not for aesthetic reasons, my toes are pretty but I have the beginnings of very slight bunions. Unless you have experienced the throbbing pain of shoes cutting in – and feet that throb even after you take your flats off – it’s difficult to judge.
loading...
Isn’t the real question why women feel they need to wear heels all the time? I mean, this surgery is unlike other cosmetic surgery in that the women doing it as a practical solution to the discomfort of wearing high heels all day. Not because they think they look better with shorter toes, but rather because wearing ugly flats all day long is clearly not an option. I think why is an important question before we all go judging.
And, to all the haters who say “just wear flat shoes”, you clearly do NOT work in an office like mine…
loading...
I’m in an office like mine. If you mean power suits and absolutely everyone wearing heels. I don’t wear them. I’m the only person who doesn’t. Never seen another woman at work not in heels. I do the power suit the neat hair and the full face of make up (all of which I can’t stand) but I draw the line at heels. I’m sure its been noticed, but nobody has sacked me for it yet.
Unless you are in the shoe business or the fashion business I fail to see how heels are necessary for employment.
loading...
Saying “Just wear better fitting/flat shoes” doesn’t make someone a hater. It makes them logical and in possession of commonsense. No-one forces anyone to wear shoes that don’t fit them. If it’s such a problem, find other shoes.
I actually thought from your opening sentence that you were going to make a really good point about stupid expectations that women wear heels, then kept reading. If you don’t want to wear “ugly flats” don’t. Get some nice ones.
loading...
Whaaaaaaat is wrong with the world that there are people who are made to feel they HAVE to wear heels at work because comfortable shoes that don’t require surgery to walk in without pain are not an option.
Unless all the men are walking around your office in heels for some kind of health and safety reason, flats remain an option for you. Flats are not ugly.
Flats will not get you fired. Give your poor feet a break!
loading...
“to all the haters who say “just wear flat shoes”, you clearly do NOT work in an office like mine…”
I work in a corporate environment, & I just checked the footwear of 3 fairly senior women who just walked past me together. Tallest heel among them was maybe an inch high.
loading...
It’s hardly being a ‘hater’ for suggesting someone get a grip and be more realistic about what they want or NEED to wear.
If you are conforming to be like the other women in your office because that is the trend then you are just being another contributer.
People have no idea how treating your feet badly will affect you later in life and I pity those that don’t take care of them for what is coming their way.
loading...
That picture is gives me the heebie-jeebies.
loading...
Is it the 1st of April again already? Surely this is a joke…
loading...
I actually understand this. Maybe not toe removal, but certainly toe shortening. I have really bad feet and will probably have to undergo some sort of foot surgery (i.e. bunion removal and/or toe shortening) in my lifetime. And it’s not because of worn bad shoes, my feet are just like that. I think I can blame two grandmothers and a mother with bad feet. Unless your feet aren’t like everyone else’s, you don’t really understand what it’s like to not be able to wear pretty shoes. I only keep them for a special occasion, and only wear them when I know I don’t have to walk far because the pain is too great. Luckily, my job requires me to wear flat, fully enclosed shoes, so it’s not so much of an issue. I’d be royally screwed if I worked in a corporate environment!
loading...
Agreed! I can actually sympathise, my feet just seem to be an odd shape and no matter what shoes I buy – and how expensive they are! – they always rub on the same spot and it’s very painful and uncomfortable.
Not just heels of course, it’s all shoes, though I guess if I got about in only Homy Peds all day I might be okay
For now, I can seriously see the benefit of having a pinky toe removed!
x TDMJ
loading...
Haha, I can still wear high heels. I wear low heels, around 3 inches. I have a sky high pair, around 6 inches but hell, I can’t wear them. I have to have stockings on as I can’t properly squeeze my toes into the front. I am going to give them to my sister in law for Christmas! Silly women.
loading...
Since when have 3 inch heels been considered low??? Wow.
loading...
I overplucked my (blonde) eyebrows when I was in my 20s and they have never grown back properly. If I don’t tint my eyebrows a darker shade than my hair it looks as if I have none. Why is it that you can wax your legs, bikini and underarms constantly and the hair still bloody grows back without any problems???
loading...
I thought you were going to ask if the cut-off toes would grow back!
loading...
I may be blonde but I’m not that stupid, Suki!!!!
loading...
haha Tanya I’m not laughing at your question but I was honestly wondering where that line of thought was going!
Just like the rest of your face it is more sensitive than the rest of your body not to mention blonde (weaker than dark cells) so the follicle and the surrounding area around it are more fragile hence the constant attack damages them..
loading...
Not necessarily. Admittedly I have very fine hair on both my head and my body, but after intermittently epilating for years (I get very slack in winter) I have big bald patches on my legs. I wish my caterpillar eyebrows behaved like this too!
loading...
When you think about it, it’s no different to other cosmetic surgeries like breast enlargements, liposuction or nose jobs or Botox – seriously all cosmetic surgery/procedures are pointless and unnecessary. Why do we voluntarily do this to ourselves? Unless it is required if a person is born with a physical defect, then I don’t support any type of cosmetic surgery at all.
loading...
This is nowhere in the same league, but is my own personal reminder that vanity can bring me to harm! Some context – mid eighties, just moved out of home, needed to maintain my perm habit. Because money was a bit tighter now that I wasn’t living at home, I downgraded my hairdresser to one who advertised $25 perms. A bargain! Except, the solution came out of enormous barrels, and I could feel it burn as soon as they put it touched my scalp. I remember thinking it was part of the deal for having to economise, but it didn’t prepare me for having the horror that came out of it – in amongst all the tight, tight horrid curls was head full of broken hair. All around the time when I had started a new job and wanted to make a good impression! Of course the hairdresser’s response was as always – ‘Don’t worry, the curls will drop soon’.
Thank goodness the culture of photographing and capturing everything was decades away and there is no evidence of that particular look!
As for surgery on perfectly good body parts? Don’t get me started!
loading...
I can relate macgee. When I was in high school (circa 1985) I went to the same hairdresser as my mother who convinced me to have my one and only perm. Despite reassuring me with photos from hair magazines, this hairdresser only knew how to do one type of perm and I left that salon with EXACTLY the same tight perm as my mother! I cried for weeks (or was it months??) until the perm officially ‘dropped’. It was not a good look for a 13 year old!!!! I feel for this generation who will have to live with the photos of their teenage mistakes.
loading...
You certainly need to be of a certain age to understand the pain of waiting for your perm to drop. My flatmate had a spiral perm – I’d be surprised if that thing has dropped almost 30 years later!
loading...
That happened to one of my friends in about Year 9 or so. She had a nanna perm that never dropped. As much as I dislike my boofy curls, I at least never succumbed to the spiral perm circa 1988.
loading...
Over plucking my eyebrows fades in comparison…
loading...
I get it 100% whilst I wouldn’t get whole toes removed, resculptured hell yeah!!
I have ugly feet they are square shaped so nice poity shoes no go. My base is skinny and then my toes flair out and are huge this is no exaggeration people comment on them all the time as I’m such a tiny person. Any height high heel will do really just to wear even kitten heels without squishing my feet in and causing my arches to scream after 15 min would be Devine.
loading...
‘there was never a solution before…’ how about DON’T WEAR THE SHOES THAT HURT YOU!!
loading...
I thought there was a solution prior to this surgery…to stop wearing the types of shoes that give you callouses, foot pain or squash your feet!
loading...
While I disagree with the concept of surgery to enable you to have high heels, there is a case for surgery at times.
Some bunions are not caused by tight shoes and high heels, one of the worse cases I have seen is a guy in his 80s.
I would not have surgery, but having feet that are wide at the front, with long big toes and narrow heels I find it very hard to find comfortable shoes of any style. Even flat sandals may not fit but I don’t like wearing flat lace-up shoes all year.
loading...
How ridiculous. There’s obviously a solution. Wear different shoes, moron.
loading...