UNCONDITIONAL BODY BEAUTIFUL - PART 8: GETTING BY ON MY FEET

For the rest of August, the blog will be taking a focus on body positivity, and today, it's time for another post in the #UnconditionalBodyBeautiful series.  This month, the other participating bloggers and I are discussing our feet!

I don't think about my feet that often, especially in regards to my body image, but my feet are central to getting me around in life, and they're actually quite central to my fashion as well.  Shoes can definitely make or break an outfit, but finding shoes that fit can be extremely difficult.  I sometimes get frustrated because I can't create the looks I want due to not being able to get the shoes that would complete it.

I have really small feet (wear a size 3 1/2), but I also have thick and wide feet and what I refer to as sausage toes.  LOL  It is extremely difficult to find shoes that work for me, and I almost always have to settle for shoes that I can work with rather than an actual perfect fit.

I've tried buying shoes from Shoes of Prey, an Australian company that offers custom styled shoes in a wide range of sizes and widths.  Unfortunately, two attempts at finding a pair of booties simply didn't work for me and I was told by the company that they use pre-fabricated molds and therefore did not offer custom fit shoes.  It was suggested that a pair of traditional heels or something less constricting than booties might work for me, but after two attempts, I was reluctant to try again.

I have attempted to find a company or designer locally or globally that offers fashionable custom fit shoes, but unfortunately, my efforts have thus far been unsuccessful.  Since I can so very rarely find properly fitting shoes, I'm usually extremely frugal in purchasing them.  I don't like the idea of paying a lot of money for shoes that don't fit me well anyway.

With clothing, I usually have the option of altering; however, the sizing of shoes can't really be changed.  Wearing inexpensive shoes that don't properly fit my feet has probably been unkind to my feet. 
I am definitely rough on my feet. I've always been a heavy stepper, wear a ton of heels, and I'm usually in flip flops around the house, none of which make my feet very happy.

My feet really aren't very pretty.  My heels are dry, cracked, and rough.  My second toe curls inward, probably from years of wearing heels.  I am in desperate need of regular pedicures, but I rarely get them.

While I should probably take better care of my feet, my body image is definitely not tied to my feet.  They're a utile part of my body, and I appreciate them for allowing me to get around and go where I want to go.  They may not be the prettiest feet, but hey, my hubby loves my sausage toes!  :-)

For the previous installments of #UnconditionalBodyBeautiful, see the following:
Part 1:  My Body and I from the Beginning
Part 2:  The Heart (Bust)
Part 3:  My Journey on My Legs
Part 4:  My Belly and Me
Part 5:  My Buttocks
Part 6: Body Hair
Part 7:  My Arms, My Wings

Catch up with the other bloggers participating in the series this month:

Zadry Ferrer-Geddes, Curves a la Mode
http://curvesalamode.com/2015/08/17/unconditional-body-beautiful-part-eight-getting-by-on-my-feet/

Katherine Hayward, The Glitter Notebook
https://theglitternotebook.wordpress.com/2015/08/18/unconditional-body-beautiful-post-8-my-feet/