I always used to get compliments on my feet. That might sound weird to some people, but when you’re in a ballet class, feet are a pretty central focus of everyone’s attention. It’s normal for those blessed with high arches, natural turn-out and a sense of balanced weight transfer to get attention for those things. I was envied for my graceful, effortless point and flex.
In the garden variety world, though, everyone wears stiff shoes that conceal the mechanics of the foot, rendering everyone’s feet basically homogeneous. This bothers me, because I’ve always felt that my finely tuned feet are what makes me special, enabling me to execute a triple pirouette with as much finesse as a perfectly aligned arabesque a la seconde. As I’m not a ballerina, this goes virtually unnoticed day-to-day, and I’m fast becoming miffed about it.
That’s why I’ve made myself an appointment at the local podiatry clinic. Cheltenham has one that’s said to be very good, and I figure it can never hurt to have one’s foot health professionally assessed. That’s my excuse, anyway. In reality, I just want some to validate that I possess outstanding feet for ballet. I know I should drop it and find a way to be noticed for something other than my flawless releve, but really, what could be more harmless than a trip to the podiatrist?
I remember at one point, when I was about 8, going to be assessed for children’s orthotics. Cheltenham didn’t have a foot clinic back then, so it was this big deal where we had to go into the city to see a specialist. I can’t remember what the concern was; I think my teacher was concerned I might have hyper flexible feet (which, at the time, seemed to me like it could be nothing but a good thing).
As it turned out, no problems were identified, and the podiatrist spoke very highly of my foot posture and gait. That’s precisely the kind of validation I’m seeking.