Hi friends,

This past week my sister sent me a TikTok of a creator talking about her grandmother’s bound feet and I was reminded of just how grotesque that practice was. Breaking the bones of little girls’ feet and binding them up so they could not grow any bigger…..because small feet = beauty?! Insane and barbaric. 😭

It really makes you have a visceral reaction when you look at pictures and think about the pain these women went through.

Now I want you to think about what women are going through today. While it’s not nearly as extreme, beauty standards actually physically “bind” the feet into high heels and other shoes that are supposedly cute but are shaped like tiny triangles? The opposite shape of natural feet. And we’re left with bunions (not genetic by the way!!), hammer toes, blisters, painful feet, and plantar fasciitis that doesn’t go away. And for what? Looking cute? Fitting in with the rest of everyone else who has foot pain?

It’s the same concept, really, just modern day foot binding.

Bind the feet so they are smaller, take up less space, and look “feminine.” I’m here to inspire and challenge you to take a hard look at your shoes and identify if there are any that confine your feet and force them to take up less space than they actually need.

Something I've come to realize being in the fitness and foot space for about a decade now is when we put on shoes with lots of support and cushion, or that are way too small and not foot-shaped, we are outsourcing our strength. We are literally shrinking to fit society’s expectations and giving up responsibility for our foot health.

But! When we go back to basics, and get grounded and rooted to the earth, we take back our strength and power.

When we take up more space, we take back our power. Not just talking about toe spread, but all aspects of life, specifically for women.

For years women have been told to get smaller, shrink, and conform to societial norms. Not anymore. To be strong and fully living in our power we must be rooted and grounded so we can bloom and live our full potential.

When we listen to our bodies and move with our instincts, we flow more naturally. And this allows us to take up more space and not fit in a societal box. And often it starts with realizing our shoes don’t even look like feet.

When we change our shoes, we change our life. Let those toes have some room, so you can start to build a more solid foundation and watch your knee and back pain and incontinence disappear. 👀

If you’re ready to take the jump, and start strengthening your feet, come join me this Saturday at 11am Alaska time on Zoom for a live class where you will learn practical exercises you can do same day that will help not only your feet, but your pelvic floor too! Read more and register here!

PS: I fully expect to get emails from you with photos of the shoes you need to clear from your closet 😄😍

Till next time,

Natalie