A black-and-white photo of a person mid-air in a Superman-style body suspension pose, supported by multiple hooks in their back and legs, smiling joyfully toward the camera. They are suspended horizontally in a large indoor space with high ceilings and visible rigging. A group of onlookers—some seated, some standing—watch with expressions of admiration, amusement, and support. The atmosphere is lively and communal, capturing a moment of shared experience and transformation.

DIY Mid-Foot Amputation

A friend of mine (who is very experienced in this subject) recently did this DIY foot shortening — and this definitely has to be the limits of what’s possible in a DIY setting. I hope it heals well (it’s two weeks old in this photo)! More pictures are in BME/extreme‘s amputation galleries.

PS. It’s quite an old interview, but you may want to read this interview about voluntary amputation (free link) if you’d like to learn a little more about the “why” end of things, or if you’re a BME/Video member, this video interview about ampuation (as well as a demonstration) is very much worth checking out.

Comments

272 responses to “DIY Mid-Foot Amputation”

  1. factorygirl Avatar

    My girlfriends and I always talk about removing the outside toe/bone of our feet so shoes fit/look better. I’d like to understand the gratification of this more. But it does look very well done.

  2. factorygirl Avatar

    My girlfriends and I always talk about removing the outside toe/bone of our feet so shoes fit/look better. I’d like to understand the gratification of this more. But it does look very well done.

  3. Ether Avatar

    1) Did this person cauterize the wound step by step as they went along?
    2) I always thought toes looked kinda weird, but I never thought about what feet might look like without them. Also, no more blisters! 🙂

  4. Ether Avatar

    1) Did this person cauterize the wound step by step as they went along?
    2) I always thought toes looked kinda weird, but I never thought about what feet might look like without them. Also, no more blisters! 🙂

  5. eatyrspleens Avatar
    eatyrspleens

    it amazes me how many of these posts there are and how many negative comments they’re STILL getting. move along people, damn.

    i really doubt he wants attention considering the high percentage of places that require shoes, which he can obviously still wear. i don’t get the impression that voluntary amputees stop conversation to say “hey! look what i did!” i’m pretty sure they’d get the same negative responses in person as they do here and who really wants to hear that shit?

    what i’d like to know, however, is HOW he did it. there had to be some serious thought and research put into an amputation of this magnitude. i can’t even imagine the process.

  6. eatyrspleens Avatar
    eatyrspleens

    it amazes me how many of these posts there are and how many negative comments they’re STILL getting. move along people, damn.

    i really doubt he wants attention considering the high percentage of places that require shoes, which he can obviously still wear. i don’t get the impression that voluntary amputees stop conversation to say “hey! look what i did!” i’m pretty sure they’d get the same negative responses in person as they do here and who really wants to hear that shit?

    what i’d like to know, however, is HOW he did it. there had to be some serious thought and research put into an amputation of this magnitude. i can’t even imagine the process.

  7. peebs Avatar
    peebs

    Hmm, looks like they removed the phalanges, all of the metatarsals look like they are still intact. I wonder how this affects function, walking, running, and such.

  8. peebs Avatar
    peebs

    Hmm, looks like they removed the phalanges, all of the metatarsals look like they are still intact. I wonder how this affects function, walking, running, and such.

  9. xander Avatar
    xander

    does no one else thing this looks infected?

  10. xander Avatar
    xander

    does no one else thing this looks infected?

  11. louie Avatar
    louie

    oh, this totally isn’t going to turn into a shitstorm.

  12. louie Avatar
    louie

    oh, this totally isn’t going to turn into a shitstorm.

  13. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Xander – I was thinking it looked infected too. It also looks like his circulation is really messed up – his “foot” is almost purple. Nothing negative towards voluntary amputation, to each his own, it’s just that the end result doesn’t look very happy.

  14. Nicole Avatar
    Nicole

    Xander – I was thinking it looked infected too. It also looks like his circulation is really messed up – his “foot” is almost purple. Nothing negative towards voluntary amputation, to each his own, it’s just that the end result doesn’t look very happy.

  15. brute Avatar

    looks much nicer.

  16. brute Avatar

    looks much nicer.

  17. akibare Avatar
    akibare

    Wow.

    My father has a foot like that, only it wasn’t voluntary at all…

  18. akibare Avatar
    akibare

    Wow.

    My father has a foot like that, only it wasn’t voluntary at all…

  19. Pauly Unstoppable Avatar

    to quote shannon

    the best explanation of why

    “I’m not sure that the line between adornment and nullification is that wide — it’s just a different path to a personal ideal body. You can build a sculpture by adding clay, or you can build a sculpture by chiseling away marble… You still end up with a sculpture”

  20. Pauly Unstoppable Avatar

    to quote shannon

    the best explanation of why

    “I’m not sure that the line between adornment and nullification is that wide — it’s just a different path to a personal ideal body. You can build a sculpture by adding clay, or you can build a sculpture by chiseling away marble… You still end up with a sculpture”

  21. rebecca Avatar

    i would make toe cuff links..

  22. rebecca Avatar

    i would make toe cuff links..

  23. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    choosing aesthetics over something so dramatically important as the ability to move through the world without unnecessary difficulty is so incredibly, ridiculously, decadent. This guy has got zero moral high ground.

  24. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    choosing aesthetics over something so dramatically important as the ability to move through the world without unnecessary difficulty is so incredibly, ridiculously, decadent. This guy has got zero moral high ground.

  25. Pauly Unstoppable Avatar

    i am choosing to remove the tip of my left pinky because its pretty…..

    no morals here either….i feel pretty good about it

  26. Pauly Unstoppable Avatar

    i am choosing to remove the tip of my left pinky because its pretty…..

    no morals here either….i feel pretty good about it

  27. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    I am not against amputations. In fact I think some of them are pretty neat. This is stupid to me though. He is going to be balance and possibly harm his back, his hipjoint and his knee because of it.

  28. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    I am not against amputations. In fact I think some of them are pretty neat. This is stupid to me though. He is going to be balance and possibly harm his back, his hipjoint and his knee because of it.

  29. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    I meant to say “off balance”.

    I wish you could edit stuff like on a normal message board.

  30. Ben Avatar
    Ben

    I meant to say “off balance”.

    I wish you could edit stuff like on a normal message board.

  31. Micah Avatar

    Uhm… uhhh…. I’m… ahhh… er….. hmmmmm……

  32. Micah Avatar

    Uhm… uhhh…. I’m… ahhh… er….. hmmmmm……

  33. postheidi Avatar

    To each his own, eh?
    It’s gotta feel funny though.
    Looks Crazy/cool, I’ll admit.

  34. postheidi Avatar

    To each his own, eh?
    It’s gotta feel funny though.
    Looks Crazy/cool, I’ll admit.

  35. xander Avatar
    xander

    i truly hope he gets that checked. it could kill him. oh great…as the daughter of a nurse…now i am paranoid and worried!

    let us know how you are buddy!

  36. xander Avatar
    xander

    i truly hope he gets that checked. it could kill him. oh great…as the daughter of a nurse…now i am paranoid and worried!

    let us know how you are buddy!

  37. eatyrspleens Avatar
    eatyrspleens

    such a great comparison, pauly/shannon!

  38. eatyrspleens Avatar
    eatyrspleens

    such a great comparison, pauly/shannon!

  39. TyTweeder Avatar
    TyTweeder

    i have never replied on this site before but viewing this picture makes me really sad for humanity. a line has been crossed. and i dont really care what people will think about my reply, this is fucking wrong… i dont care about what motivates someone to do someting like this… this is no longer modification… this is just mutilation… and not in a good way… its just stupid… like another poster said… this is going to wreck the persons hips and back in the future… i cant understand why… “dude check it out i removed my own toes!”
    fuck… i find this worse than the crazy fuckers who chop their dicks in half or right off… its just wrong… bloody hell… i hope this fucker gets gangrene or some horrible infection or something… teach him a lesson…

  40. TyTweeder Avatar
    TyTweeder

    i have never replied on this site before but viewing this picture makes me really sad for humanity. a line has been crossed. and i dont really care what people will think about my reply, this is fucking wrong… i dont care about what motivates someone to do someting like this… this is no longer modification… this is just mutilation… and not in a good way… its just stupid… like another poster said… this is going to wreck the persons hips and back in the future… i cant understand why… “dude check it out i removed my own toes!”
    fuck… i find this worse than the crazy fuckers who chop their dicks in half or right off… its just wrong… bloody hell… i hope this fucker gets gangrene or some horrible infection or something… teach him a lesson…

  41. redperphexion Avatar
    redperphexion

    First off, I hope you’ve got some A1 antibiotics… if bacteria get into your bloodstream, you’re pretty much dead… or you’ll wish you were.

    Secondly: How can you give up the beloved flip flops!?!?! (Let alone 5 toes…)

  42. redperphexion Avatar
    redperphexion

    First off, I hope you’ve got some A1 antibiotics… if bacteria get into your bloodstream, you’re pretty much dead… or you’ll wish you were.

    Secondly: How can you give up the beloved flip flops!?!?! (Let alone 5 toes…)

  43. LDog. Avatar
    LDog.

    I say that if it makes a person happy, more power to them.

  44. LDog. Avatar
    LDog.

    I say that if it makes a person happy, more power to them.

  45. Sassie_L Avatar

    That is an amazingly clean effort. I am sure that the owner of this foot is very happy with the result, and my guess is that it has achieved the result that they were after. I can appreciate this experience (and the fact that they have shared their experience) fully knowing that I would not want it for myself.

    I love the quote of Shannon’s that Pauly Unstoppable posted, though I am more of an “add clay” kinda girl 🙂

  46. Sassie_L Avatar

    That is an amazingly clean effort. I am sure that the owner of this foot is very happy with the result, and my guess is that it has achieved the result that they were after. I can appreciate this experience (and the fact that they have shared their experience) fully knowing that I would not want it for myself.

    I love the quote of Shannon’s that Pauly Unstoppable posted, though I am more of an “add clay” kinda girl 🙂

  47. gwennn. Avatar

    I think that is and the interview are super interesting. Like, I want to learn more, and hear from other amputees.

    #12 good point.

  48. gwennn. Avatar

    I think that is and the interview are super interesting. Like, I want to learn more, and hear from other amputees.

    #12 good point.

  49. choice Avatar

    that’s insane. speechless/

  50. choice Avatar

    that’s insane. speechless/

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