What is your opinion on open toe flats?

Ruchel

Sat, Mar 01 2014, 2:41 pm

My aunt (by marriage) is the Mizrachi charedi type and was also told the foot is not a problem. She actually wears leggings under skirts, with the foot bare. But hair is fully covered, no sheitel, even at home she is soooo covered. Just not the feet.

amother

Sat, Mar 01 2014, 8:14 pm

Quote:

bags on your feet to sleep

is, I presume, a reference to the film on Lev Tahor. You gotta read every post here to get every other post, huh?

I was recently in a store near Lakewood and the saleswoman was telling me about s/o she knows well in Lakewood (I forget who & in which contex, perhaps she worked for someone in Lakewood, but clearly bageling me!) but she was showing me shoes & just assumed I wouldn't consider the open-toe ones (thereby showing off how well she understands Lakewood standards!)

Well, not all Lakewood is like that. In fact the first I heard of it was a number of years ago, that the family of the Roshei Yeshiva are makpid. But I have NEVER heard in mentioned in many many discussions of tznius standards, and I think it's clearly more a personal chumrah (or perhaps within a family.)

That said, I've seen women wearing something on their feet made of just a few very thin straps, over very sheer hose, & kind of wondered why they'd want to be so exposed, especially when you see so few folks around here doing that.

It does, in the end, come down to the fact that tznius (or at least a big part of tznius) is about not standing out. So your burka-wearing is guilty too!

DrMom

Sun, Mar 02 2014, 12:13 am

amother wrote:

That said, I've seen women wearing something on their feet made of just a few very thin straps, over very sheer hose, & kind of wondered why they'd want to be so exposed, especially when you see so few folks around here doing that.

IMO, strappy sandals look silly with hosiery, sheer or not. (Sounds sweaty and potentially smelly, with all that synthetic fabric...)

I don't see tznius as dressing exactly the same as everyone around me. If I decided to wear blue shoes and most people around me wore black or brown, I wouldnt label that untznua. And if everyone around me were wearing 6" stripper stilletos, that would be very untznua, no matter how many people were wearing them, and how much more of the foot they covered than a pair of simple sandals.

Also, I can think of many practical reasons why someone would want to wear sandals -- maybe because it's hot and closed shoes can get sweaty? It's not about being "exposed" -- as someone wears sandals on a regular basis in summer, I can assure you I don't slip on my comfy Naot sandals thinking, "Ooh, I'm going to look so sxy and alluring with my daringly exposed toes." They're just regular practical summer footwear to me.

seeker

Sun, Mar 02 2014, 2:07 am

Personally, I'd never wear open toed shoes because I would not like the possibility of getting dirt or water on my feet. It is not the same as going to the beach in sandals on purpose. Blech. But I'm just sensitive like that... apparently others aren't since they keep making and selling the style...

ChanaParnes

Sun, Mar 02 2014, 2:46 am

It definitely depends on the type of footwear that the other women in your neighbourhood are wearing. Many very tznius and covered up women in my area wear open-heeled Shabbos shoes, with a thin strap around the back of the ankle. But I think that open-toes would draw some attention here.
There are definitely other communities where no one would notice and it would be no big deal.
It probably also depends on how thick/thin the stockings are (if any!)

imasoftov

Sun, Mar 02 2014, 3:14 am

agreer wrote:

ewwwwww I absolutely hate the look. I don't want to see anyone's toes, covered in nude tights or exposed.

I think they are meant to be attractive and attracting, so therefore definitely not in the spirit of tznius, esp. if you have bright polish.

I never heard that sling-backs are a problem. interesting.

1) When I hear an adult make that noise, I want to send them to their room
2) I am in favor of everyone maintaining their own standards of tzniut. I'm all for anyone who doesn't want to expose their OWN toes not doing so. But hating seeing someone else's? Don't look.
3) Where's that disgusting toe photo people were complaining about?

Last edited by imasoftov on Sun, Mar 02 2014, 5:34 am; edited 1 time in total

Ruchel

Sun, Mar 02 2014, 7:15 am

There can be fetishists... but we don't go by fetichists, and I assure you there are more men into lips than into toes... and certainly into back of the feet...

I find strappy sandals with tights, or without tights, less sweaty than closed shoes (with or without)... now I don't wear those tiny straps barely covered sandals as I find they look weird with tights.

But as a friend of mine said, when you see women/girls in sandals and tights, either they're frum or they're German LOL