I still don't think a woman could walk with those tall black things on her feet. Thre is no place to put down your foot. So how could a person walk on these.

They are like ballerina toe slippers WITH HEELS.

You would have to stay in one position.

Absolutely ridiculous!!!

Two words Mel~~ OUCH! OUCH!

Foot binding is part of China's history (it was banned, thought to now not to be practiced) anymore, not Japan.
http://www.ccds.charlotte.nc.us/Hist...s/hutchins.htm
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/s...toryId=8966942

I have no idea where the shoes came from... my mom sent me the same email since I lived in Japan - she wanted to know if I did this (with my size 10's!).

Look at this video from youtube. It shows the whole thing.

I've seen this before. I can only say one thing.

How disgusting that men forced women to do this, that they would NOT marry them unless their feet were bound. That it was THE MAN'S MOTHER'S duty to lift up the hem of the girl and make sure her feet were bound. It was a status, class thing. If you didn't have bound feet, no one would marry you.

And to think that some girls had this done when they were 7 years old. I read the whole description. Absolutely horrendous.

Just let me add one thing. Remember when women would say, "I'd like to see a man give birth" ????????

I only wish that 100 years ago, someone grabbed a hold of the men, and did to THEM, what they did to women.

You'd see the laws change so fast, it would make your head spin.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_FYM2Y4AR4

I can't even say in public what we call those high heel shoes around here.

My People magazine has a picture of Rumer Willis in those black toeshoe spiked heel things! She's laying down in the photo......for obvious reasons!! I just couldn't get over those shoes!! And they actually made many different styles??? OUCH!! Thanks for trhe pics Mel!! I'm showing everyone these things, unreal!

The ancient practice of binding a woman's feet is cultural. Are there still Geisha girls in Japan? Not the ceremonial kind. [U]The Geisha Girl[U] was fascinating, it really gave insight into the whole process.

It got me thinking about various cultures and what is considered beautiful.

How about the women who put neck rings on to stretch their necks. I wonder what would happen if the rings were removed, does the spine bones also grow to compensate the extension of the neck?

Or the tribe somewhere that puts a disk on their bottom lip to stretch it. One cannot think of the table manners...close your mouth when you eat?

I am trying to think of other cultures that have a standard of beauty that we do not share here in the USA.

Can anyone think of any?

Melody - if this hijacks your thread, tell everyone to ignore it and I will remove it!