From Meh to Toe Ring Goddess

Written by: Tamar Simone Weir

Feet.

A small part of our body. Some love feet, some hate the touch and idea of feet.

The history of feet is deeply intertwined with human evolution, culture, and symbolism. Anatomically, the human foot evolved to support upright walking, endurance running, and balance, setting our species apart from primates. Over time, feet became central to cultural practices, from foot-binding in China to barefoot spiritual traditions of the indigenous cultures of the Yawanawa tribe in the north of Brazil. In many parts of the world, taking off your shoes before entering the home or holy places is a part of the cultural practices and signifies respect.

In mythology and religion, feet often symbolize humility, grounding, and connection to the divine—seen in traditions like washing feet as an act of service or reverence. In art and literature, they represent movement, freedom, and sensuality. Shoes and foot adornments have also played a significant role in history, marking social status, identity, and even restriction. Throughout time, feet have been both revered and controlled, sensualized and stigmatized, yet they remain a fundamental part of human experience

—our literal and symbolic connection to the earth.

In regards to my own feet, I was never a fan. I used to hate my feet. I always felt that there was a vision, a certain look, an aesthetic for what feet "should" look like. And mine were not that. I thought my feet were too long, and that my second toe needed to be smaller than the big toe because of all of these photos I had seen before of feet. Dainty and cute. When in reality, the body is multi faced, and there are so many body types. So many forms and figures. So many silhouettes. But growing up, I remember looking at my friends feet, and always thinking wow look at those feet!! And not in that fetishizational way, more in the admirational aspirational way. Like look at how symmetrical they are! Look at how beautiful they are! Look at how normal looking they look! Why are my feet so long???

Fast forward many years of insecurities and developing my young adult woman body, I began college. I started seeing a massage therapist who I had found on yelp and had a few marvelous reviews about her work. She had a beautiful massage studio full of love and light. She would always open the windows so that there was fresh air and a gentle breeze blowing in. You could always hear the birds chirping, and her essential oils wafting aromas all around the room. Everything about her studio was very comfortable and relaxing. I remember during my first massage looking down at the floor through the neck pillows face hole and seeing that she took off her shoes and was massaging me while barefoot. I remember having had many massages before her, in different environments from more casual and fast spots to longer sessions at spas, but never having had a massage therapist massage me barefoot. In that moment I thought to myself how beautiful this was that while she was providing healing for myself, she was grounded on the earth without shoes, and seemingly very comfortable in her own space. Walking around to all edges of the massage table, her feet moved and gracefully took her where she needed to be. I don’t remember the details of her feet, and truly that’s not the point of the story, but what does stay with me after all these years later, are her toe rings...

The detail of these toe rings was subtle. They were delicate and silver, and we’re not too flashy or memorable, but they stood out to me. Seeing her be comfortable in the space, and her toes with this decor, inspired me to change and shift my narrative that I had sorta forgotten but remained in my body all this time. Of course she didn't know this and I never expressed that to her, but a shift nonetheless began...

The narrative that I had deep down about my feet was negative, shame based, heavy. After a few massages, I decided to go on Etsy, and buy some toe rings, then traveling a few months later, I found some jewelry makers on the street, and decided to buy a few more to rings, and from there I gathered my collection of toe rings and adorned my feet. Choosing which toe to put which ring, admiring the new jewelry, taking pictures of this process, enjoying. I created a different story for what I thought I believed about my feet. I love this story because I didn’t go to this massage therapist for healing my insecurity about one small part of my body, but while I was there, I did do a bit of healing on that small part of my body. I came in looking for some relief from my back pain, I came in for some body care but ended up leaving with a more relaxed tension free body physically and a more confident self, a release of old narratives. I started to adorn my feet with the simple toe rings, and they gave me a new sense of connection to my feet. I started really loving, looking at my feet, massaging my feet. Touching my feet in a different way. I had always loved massaging and taking care of my feet, but this was the first time I really felt that I had connected to my feet on a more sensual level. By witnessing this woman, I created a changed for myself.

And even though you don’t need material items or jewelry to necessarily make you feel beautiful, I think little things like a ring and noticing something in somebody else can help bring out a piece of love that is waiting to be brought to the surface for your own self. Eventually, all of these toe rings fell off into various bodies of water, the ocean, a river, and into the universe in moments unrealized. And although I felt sad that they were no longer with me I knew that they served a beautiful purpose in reconnecting me with my body. I spent a few months without any toe ring, still loving my feet, feeling a little too light weight. A little too naked. I decided to go back and buy a few more toe rings to honor that foot journey. I found that by making a small little change, I was able to deepen my relationship with my body, and even love a part of my body that beforehand was just something neutral, or something that I wouldn’t use the word "Love" to describe. I don’t necessarily think all people should get toe rings, right after reading this, but at the same time I'm not saying don't go buy a toe ring....

Sensuality is such a beautiful concept and part of our existence in this world. The feeling comes in different ways and different moments of our lives. Sometimes it feels like our sensuality is dead, is so deep under the soil it may never blossom into fruit...and other moments sensuality feels connected to every part of every plant every sparkle that shines rays on your fingers and face, all bodies. Even as I write this, I see a wild rabbit, running across the vineyards, giving me a message of what we’re all connected to in this search and acceptance of this physical-emotional body whichever way that looks, feet or no feet, but what grounds us the same...