Chapter 14 Chapter 7 Infatuation or Bitter Love?

— Christina Here's a disclaimer: Yes, I've worn all kinds of grotesque heels.Yep, I have no problem walking in them, and they even look relaxed.But let me tell you, it is pure nonsense to say that the feet don't hurt. I'm not sure if I was a Chinese woman in my previous life?But a hundred years ago, all Chinese women had to bind their feet, and they all had to endure the pain of footbinding. But I don’t think it’s possible, because firstly, I don’t have any sense of déjà vu on oriental culture, and secondly, those poor Chinese women were forced to endure inhuman treatment on their feet out of helplessness.And I asked for it.

This is called "obsession", and it can also be called "bitter love": an obsession that specializes in creating pain. Shoes are designed to cause pain, not just high heels, but new shoes, tight shoes, stiff shoes, lace-up shoes, in fact, all kinds of shoes! Question: Why am I abusing myself so much? Rhetorical question: Are there other options?Is there any other substitute?Or are there only "healthy shoes" and "corrective shoes" that have no shape or style? In fact, it is useless to ask this question: I am a person with a higher instep than ordinary people (this kind of person is especially prone to feel squeezed and uncomfortable when wearing baotou shoes), and the heels of both feet have grown by two pieces. Small but not negligible bone growths, so blisters are guaranteed to develop as soon as you put on new shoes.For this reason, I searched for famous doctors, and finally an orthopedic doctor told me "kindly" that those small bones that grow in the heel can be "broken with a hammer", but my feet will become smaller afterward. That said, it's unknown if my shoes will be a few sizes smaller.I am not a person who is easy to listen to, but dear doctor, even if I listen to your advice this time and let you make my feet smaller, what should I do with the dozens of pairs of shoes at home? ?

So I decided to face the pain bravely and see it as "inevitable suffering".Don't be afraid of pain if you love beauty!When I was a child, I used to practice a kind of footwork by myself, that is, I walked barefoot on sharp stones, stepped on strange-shaped gravel, or ran on the sand covered with sharp-edged shells.This kind of training makes my feet extremely soft and fully stretched.The attitude is the same when wearing ill-fitting shoes: instead of tensing your muscles to feel the pain in your feet, try to distract and shift your focus.Don't keep thinking, "Oh my god, I can't take it anymore. I can't stand walking in these high heels for ten minutes. How can I walk the whole way?" Hypnotize yourself with the previous thought as: "Oh, that's true. The spring is beautiful and the scenery is pleasant!” Of course, you can also think about the last time you went shopping in the supermarket, or picture the big boss wearing underwear in your mind.Anyway, no matter what, you must grasp the key points and don't think about the shoes on your feet.

My colleague Antoninette and I met on a trip.We took part in a tour group vacationing on the Amalfi Coast in Italy and stayed in a small town called Positano.The city is built along the coast, and most of the streets are steep uphill roads, and are paved with large round stones (it is famous because the German Chancellor Schroeder and his wife once went on vacation) .Since we were going to attend a formal dinner that night, I knew that I had planned a city tour in the afternoon, so I decided to put on a pair of black buckskin high heels (16 cm high stiletto heels) that complemented the steep terrain of the area. travel.

Antonine told me later that she was so impressed with me at that time, that I could wear shoes with such a high heel, without changing my expression, walking indifferently, like a ibex, "knocking" On the mountain road paved with stones, but also smiling!And she watched from the side with fear, worrying anytime and anywhere, wondering whether my heel would break first or the sole of my foot would break first.I explained to her, first, the 16cm high heel of my pair of shoes is covered with a layer of deerskin, and the inner shaft is actually made of steel, which is very durable.Second, where was I "smiling" at that time, I was "smiling bitterly", a "smile of bitterness" squeezed out by baring my teeth.Because I have been hypnotizing myself, thinking to myself: I will be liberated soon!Just wait a little longer, and when you're done eating, you can rush back to the hotel, throw yourself on the bed, and kick your feet up!Just thinking about being able to free your feet from the shoes is enjoyable enough.It was an indescribable, unparalleled feeling of freedom!

Besides, Antoninette said, because I was wobbling all the way, I attracted the attention of a bunch of Italian men, all staring at me dumbfounded, and the scene was really disgusting.So it's worth the pain, isn't it? I've always felt that my feet are the best part of my body.They're small, detailed, and beautiful, just as I've always imagined them to be.My ex-boyfriend Leo once told me that he liked to hold my feet in his hands, and I really found it very helpful. For him, for myself, for Antonine Nette, and for all who appreciate my feet, I put new torture devices on them every morning, with laces, buckles, and Bow tie, brave and strong to face the blisters, wounds and cracks on the feet.Every night, I wash them carefully in the shower, carefully exfoliate the excess cuticles and calluses with volcanic pumice, and finally apply a special foot cream for massage (a maintenance cream produced by Kiehls, which specializes in A formula designed for dry and rough skin, which I entrusted someone to bring back from New York).

When I was thirty-two years old, I discovered that the big toes of my feet had a tendency to bend outwards. I was really shocked at the time.Since then, I have been exercising my forefoot joints non-stop to prevent the occurrence of the ball of the toe (the muscle that protrudes from the palm at the base of the big toe).Here I am happy to tell you how to do it, it is very simple: stand on the steps one step above the ground with your toes, try to let the whole foot vacate.Put your hands on the railing on either side or anything that will support you, then slowly step your heels down and hold there for ten seconds.Repeatedly doing the same action several times, while thinking in my mind: "Well, I'm going to wear those new shiny leather shoes to go out tomorrow. I can't run around barefoot."