once upon a time... long, long ago... i was a highland dancer and whilst i have been researching the feet and movement, balance etc i have been looking at dance, ballet in particular.
something i've noticed about dance shoes or pumps, is how they bind the foot to provide support by holding all the muscles and bones together. on a darker note this reminds me of chinese foot binding (gag)
last monday i joined an adult ballet class (brave) the muscle memory is stilll there, just, but i have noticed over the years that my feet have changed shape slightly and they certainly lack the strength they used to have. i just wore socks, which became loose and grubby in no time so tomorrow i'm going to wear a pair of my old dancing pumps from my highland days. now, they haven't seen the light of day, never mind my feet for about twelve years (what???!) and they seem to be a lot smaller than i remember. my toes aren't used to being this close together. they're usually in my green puma sneaks (see below) sitting comfortably in an adequate space.
so, i'm going to wear them all day and see how it goes. these are my most recent pair, a slightly different design than my usual type. they bind/support more than others i've had. there are more holes for the laces and there is only a half sole on the ball of the foot because that is the part of the foot that has most contact with the ground.
highland dancing pumps by hullachan
my old favourites, well worn and holey
i took them off after about four hours and this was the result....
the laces have left quite prominent marks where they were tied. the laces weave in a criss-cross pattern and tie like a corset. the grooves were fairly deep which they never used to be in the past and i don't remember my feet being this fat and puffy! there must be a seam running across the knuckles of my toes, my second toe was being rubbed while i wore them.
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