Actually, these pics were sent in an email and in the botton of the email, they showed an actual elderly Japanese lady with her FEET UNBOUND.

I did not want to include those photos in this thread. I didn't know if I would be breaking any protocol. I've seen photos of older women who have had their feet bound as children. They meet up and they wash their feet in some kind of meeting place. It's like an honor bound tradition for them.

These ladies are proud that they have their feet bound. This was done in centuries past, but it has been outlawed.

The shoes worn by people with bound feet are called Golden Lotus slippers. Men were attracted to Japanese women with little tiny feet. I can only imagine me living in Japan with my size 10 tootsies. They would have outlawed ME!!!

I had viewed a documetary on Discovery some years ago and found the whole thing fascinating. I mean, there are not too many elderly ladies left in Japan and they are the only ones with bound feet. It becomes too late to get them unbound. They are not pliable, and they are frozen in place.

I can't imagine parents doing this to their own children, but it was extremely acceptable back in the day, and men actually were attracted to the woman with bound feet.

I think the feet look terrible, but that's the way it was way back when.

But these shoes that I posted here. I can't imagine fitting into any of them. These woman must stand higher than 6 feet tall or better with these things on.