Alternatives to foot binding?

[urplesquirrel]

For a fantasy world based on ancient China, I was doing research on foot binding, and I stumbled across a little tidbit of information on wikipedia that I've been trying to find out more about, with no sucess

Comments

[madame_manga]

Ah, I did a report on foot-binding for Chinese history class once... those shoes were built something like stilts, with high wooden soles that curved down to a small "foot" that showed from under the robes. Obviously these weren't running shoes! Here's a nice pic I got from Googling "manchu women shoes".

http://www.footwearhistory.com/lotusconstruction.shtml

[urplesquirrel]

*smacks forehead* Can't believe that search term didn't occur to me.

Thank you for the link, it's exactly what I needed!

[fanfare]

Because of the icon, I am now imagining Toph making a big fuss about being forced to wear those delicate little shoes! Thanks for that laugh XD

[kutsuwamushi]

Please edit your post to add a subject line that describes your question.

[urplesquirrel]

Done. Sorry, I haven't posted on here in such a long time that I forgot about that requirement.

[corvideye]

I don't remember if it has the info you're looking for, but "Every Step a Lotus" is an interesting and detailed book about foot binding practices and shoes.

Also, foot binding was not practiced through all of chinese history (started ca. Sung dynasty?), and I think was predominantly practiced by upper class women, so depending on the period you're emulating and the class of your MC, this might not be necessary to justify?

[corbeaun]

foot binding was not practiced through all of chinese history (started ca. Sung dynasty?)

During the earliest days of the Tang dynasty (circa 600), court dancers (from Persia? I forget) bound their feet loosely in silk. As these dancers often drew the emperor's eyes, the imperial concubines started emulating them - including binding their feet like them. However, the infamous 5-inch "lotus" didn't come into vogue until many generations later.

[mature]

I personally would love to recommend Splendid Slippers by Beverley Jackson (non-fiction) and Feng Jicai's novel The Three-Inch Golden Lotus.

There were also some peasant villages that practiced loose binding, where the foot was wrapped at tightly as possible, folding the toes under without actually breaking any bones. Sometimes this was done to baby boys, to fool the gods/demons/ghosts into thinking that they were worthless girls and to keep them from being snatched away.

Keep in mind the obvious connotation that bound women (and men sometimes) were good and stayed at home and if they went out they had to be accompanied, whereas "boat-footed" women could go anywhere and therefore were roamers and carousers.