Everyday, we crawl out of bed and at some point, probably see our own feet. We don’t think much about it because they are our feet. And for whatever shape they are, they are acceptable and maybe even pretty because that’s what we see every single day. Its what we are accustomed to.

We see another person’s feet, which might be attractive, but because they don’t look like our own feet, they may seem abnormal. Maybe we have imperfections that we are OK with and we are also OK with imperfections in other people.

So what is normal? I don’t know. But maybe we can look at what are clear deformations that are talked about in medical literature and elsewhere.

• Obviously, we are suppose to have 5 toes. Nuff said there.
• Also, nail fungus and blackened toenails are probably not the norm.
• Maybe we are lacking a toenail or two. I know ultra-marathoners who surgically have their toenails removed because they keep falling off anyway.
• I personally don’t like long toenails because they are impractical in my world. But abnormally long like you see in the Guinness Book of World Records are clearly odd.
• If you look at shoes, they were made for your big toe to be the longest portion and gradually taper to your baby toe. But some people have a much longer 2nd or 3rd toe called Morton’s Toe. It can cause anatomical issues in general, but can create real problems for shoes.
• Speaking of shoes, what about high heels? When people wear shoes that are too tight fitting or change the shape of your foot over time, there is something wrong. So obviously, large bunions are probably not a desirable feature for most people.
• Also, for those who believe we evolve from monkeys, maybe a shorter toe is more evolved?
• This goes for hairy toes too. Maybe less hairy is more evolved?

To be honest, I don’t know what a pretty foot is supposed to look like. I guess I lean toward how my own feet look. But you can test for yourself. Look at magazines or other media who advertise with paid foot models. Maybe they represent the desired foot shape? Toes not too long tapering from big toe to little toe. No deformities along the edges. And def no toenail fungus. Usually not hairy toes. Clean and healthy feet are desirable. As a yoga teacher, its what I would call a yoga foot. Its where good health starts for us.

To each their own…literally! Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.