Letters to the Editor
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shoes can hurt you
I have permanent tendon and muscle damage from being forced to take ballet before age 5, and being forced to walk around my house in toe shoes for hours each day (beginning at age 5 through age 8). The toe shoes lacked any padding, cotton or lamb's wool, as my mother saw that as a way to buffer pain--and she didn't believe in buffering pain. My feet are shaped like (though not as small as) those of Asian women whose feet were bound for years. My arches are so high that they stick up and out of all shoes; my toes curl up like they were molded to elf shoes.
Wearing heels over one inch hurts immediately and profoundly. I can feel the strain in each muscle of my foot, and my ankles will lock up in minutes. I have to stretch my calves on special foam boards several times a day to retain the ability to walk my dog.
I have trouble walking in almost any shoes for distances greater than .25 mile due to chronich inflammatory pain in my feet, calves and ankles. This childhood torture means I can NEVER walk quickly or jog--if I was in danger and had to run while being chased, the likelihood is that I would be caught and killed. The pain in my legs is so intense it feels like having a branding iron applied to my skin, muscle and bone with each step.
Don't think you can't hurt yourself for a little glamour. And don't force your kids into shoes made for adults.
Thanks, mom. You won't be getting a card this year, so I hope you're reading this.