GIRLLLL, LET ME TELL YOU WHAT HAPPENED!

Have you all heard of Gwyneth Paltrow’s Goop? The company is definitely what my regular Pitchbook newsletter would name a “unicorn” for its really magical, hippy-ish qualities. Anyways, I wanted to learn more about this wellness company after hearing so much buzz about it over the last several weeks. I casually came across a featured NYT piece by Taffy Brodesser-Akner (see screenshots of her comments below) after seeing it trend on Twitter. Basically, this article was the sum of interviews conducted by Akner of Paltrow along with Akner’s personal perspective (including streams of thoughts) of their encounters. What definitely stood out to me about the piece, other than Goop’s somewhat strange, aspirationally-positioned products, is Akner’s comparing herself to Paltrow when it came to her feet. Of course, being a footwear blogger, her thoughts on her own size 11 feet in comparison to Paltrow’s assumed size 8’s struck a hard cord with me, more so than all the speculations into Goop’s authenticity. The diction that she used to describe her utter distaste and insecurity with this particular aspect of her physical features continues to resonate with the multitude of young girls and women in the Queen Feet community who have simply not come into the light. The light of which is the acceptance, appreciation, and confidence in being naturally a part of a super special, growing group of big footed ladies (AKA the Queen Feet community).

Here we are in 2018, when women are assuming all kinds of barrier breaking roles professionally and personally. Beauty standards and corresponding body shapes are shifting with the times. Despite these, we still hold ourselves back from true acceptance. When it comes to physical appearance, women will always have an underlying subconscious subscription to dated beauty standards, despite their “I don’t give a crap!” attitudes.

In part, this article was a B.T.S. look into G.P.’s Goop’d up life. On the other hand, as Akner seemingly unknowingly played right into the continuous pedestal praises of Paltrow and other idolized inviduals, it really just showed me that we, as in society, really do love to compare ourselves to other people (celebs, influencers, friends, etc.) as to continue fuel our own insecurities.

LADIES, WE’VE GOT TO DO BETTER!

As we well know, regular folks aren’t the only ones rocking extended shoe sizes. In fact, this Specialty Shoe Lover platform has an entire ‘Sole Spotlight: Stories’ series dedicated to highlighting everyday Queen Feet ladies. I mean, even Audrey Hepburn stood out in her day for her size 10 feet, I’m certain since the average shoe size was much smaller. And today, there are a growing number of celebrities that are standing out as being counted in this Queen Feet number. Don’t believe me? I’ve even compiled a list of a couple Queen Feet celebrities that come to mind in a previous post. Click here to view.

And while the Gwyneth Paltrows of the world are still just as lovely as ever, they are no longer the absolute standard of beauty. Women of all shades, shapes, and sizes are more accepted for their features now more than ever. And yes, we are a little taller and maybe even wider too, but that’s okay. So what if the length of our feet are proportionate with our statuesque figures? It would be quite awkward if they weren’t.

To sum it up, I was disappointed and low-key hurt by Akner’s comments. Of course, I’ve never met her, and I’m sure she meant no real harm. Her piece, overall, was interesting (in a good way) to me. But, how can we, as the Queen Feet community, expect the world to take notice that we are no longer an anomaly, a freak of nature versus being the new norm as humans continue to grow taller and wider,especially Westerners, if we do not lead the conversation positively? What incentive do we give our young girls by not using every bit of our influence and platform to 1) show them that they are loved and accepted and 2) get the attention of brands and retailers alike to say, “Hey, we exist, and we are here to stay!”? Ladies, we’ve got to do better!

SERIOUSLY THOUGH, I’M DONE!

That is all folks! My rant has commenced. Thank you all for reading. Comments or questions? Let’s keep this convo going. If you read the article, let me know below how you felt about Akner’s comments. Were they too much or just extremely candid?