Foot binding was the Chinese custom of breaking and tightly binding the feet of young girls in order to change their shape and size. Feet altered by foot binding were known as lotus feet, and the shoes made for these feet were known as lotus shoes.

What was the purpose of foot binding in China?

Foot-binding persisted for so long because it had a clear economic rationale: It was a way to make sure young girls sat still and helped make goods like yarn, cloth, mats, shoes and fishing nets that families depended upon for income – even if the girls themselves were told it would make them more marriageable.

Is foot binding illegal in China?

Painful Memories for China's Footbinding Survivors Millions of Chinese women bound their feet, a status symbol that allowed them to marry into money. Footbinding was banned in 1912, but some women continued to do it in secret. Some of the last survivors are still living in a village in Southern China.