by Patricia Salber
I must confess that I am not at the cutting edge of international beauty trends. So I was amazed to read, in a story in the NY Times about changes in Brazilian women’s views on body image, that liposuction on the toes was all the rage in that country this last summer. That’s right, toe liposuction.
I wanted to learn more about this, so I googled “toe liposuction.” Guess what, a desire to have beautiful toes is not limited to beauty conscious Brazilian women. Wendy Lewis, an independent cosmetic surgery consultant who works in the US and UK, says this about “the toe job”:
“Pretty, uniform, proportional toes are a must-have accessory among Jimmy Choo-wearing women. Second and third toes that poke out beyond the big toe can be shortened, and crooked fourth and fifth toes can be straightened out. Cosmetic toe surgery involves making small incisions, cutting a piece of bone out of the joint and reattaching the tendon.”
Valerie Steele, the director of the museum at Manhattan’s Fashion Institute of Technology oversees a collection of 5,000 pair of shoes. She explains why women should go to such extremes to end up perfectly beautiful feet:
“Slip on the right pair of heels, she says, and you feel slimmer, more bosomy. Men will drool at the mere sight of you.”
Really? Well, this is coming from a woman who uses phrases like “toe cleavage” to describe the look of a foot wearing high-heeled stilettos.
The same article describes the practice of Dr. Suzanne Levine, a clinical podiatrist on Manhattan’s Upper East Side:
“She sculpts and plumps the feet of the well-heeled set. A $2,500 toe-shortening procedure helps some fit better into their pointy pumps. Others pay to have collagen injected into the base of their feet, to provide cushioning.”
Now, I am not against plastic surgery or other cosmetic procedures. I’m a bit of an hedonist who believes it is ok for people to pursue things in life that make them feel better. Many women (and men for that matter) have benefited from cosmetic procedures, myself included. It is a very personal decision.
But plastic surgery on toes? So your feet look better in spike heels? Seems extreme to me. But then, it may be because I was born with a big toe that is longer than my second toe and, unlike other parts of me, my toes are not fat.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Thoughts on longer second toes: http://www.topendsports.com/fun/bodysurvey/toes.htm
Actually Manolo Blahnik himself is on the record saying that the ideal woman’s foot has a longer second toe.
It’s not just about looking pretty in heels..it’s about not having ugly feet. When you have fat ugly toes it’s gross. People see it when you wear heels, on the beach, etc… women and men. Sure it’s a little extreme but you have to do what you got to in order to be gorgeous. If you truly have fat ugly toes then by god fix it.
What are they going to invent next? Toe liposuction… god damn, this world is falling apart, I sincerely do not understand the need for toe liposuction.
I happen to think plumper toes are much more attractive then those skinny chicken toes some women have
Outside of attractiveness there is comfort. I have fat feet. I use to think that I did not have an arch… It turns out that I do, but when I place pressure on my foot my whole foot spreads… my feet bulge in strappy shoes and stretch out everything else. I feel like I have no balance and walk heavy. Most of the time it is difficult to walk in pumps. I just want to feel feminine.