What’s wrong with shoes?

Well… just about everything it turns out.

My story starts with a foot operation ten years ago, which sends me down an unexpected rabbit hole.

What began as a personal story about what I thought was bad luck soon became the starting point for a much larger investigation into a silent health crisis that shortens our mobile life and costs our society billions.

Armed with a camera and some nagging questions, I’ve embarked on a quest for answers.

"Stupid Shoes" is an investigative documentary, a historical journey, and a call to question the things we accept as normal.

This film that will forever change the way you look at what you put on your feet.

X-ray of a foot showing two surgical screws in the heel bone and a fracture fixated with screws.

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About the Director

Danielle (Dee) Libine is a debuting documentary filmmaker and experienced entrepreneur based in Switzerland, with over 20 years of experience in visual creation, business coaching, and digital strategy.

Her documentary work focuses on telling stories that matter about things that don’t make sense.

This project is deeply personal. It was her own foot operation 10 years ago that launched a multi-year journey of investigation into the musculoskeletal system, a path that ultimately led to the surprising and often-overlooked problem of modern footwear.

Dee combines her passion for independent storytelling with her extensive background in research and communication to bring this crucial investigation to the screen.

Woman with short, platinum blonde hair wearing black glasses and a black and pink top, posing against a plain white background.

Film Experts & Contributors

Learn more about the experts and contributors of The Stupid Shoes Film.

A photo of Georgette Dutoit at the Barefoot shoe tradeshow in Offenback Germany 2025

  • Foot therapist & Toega founder

    When a life-altering sledding accident led to a prognosis of lifelong pain and orthotic dependency, Georgette chose a different path. She forged her own recovery plan by combining foundational wisdom from her Apache heritage with the intuitive strength she developed growing up barefoot on rugged coastlines, all supported by modern sports science. This integrated approach allowed her to defy medical expectations, achieving a full recovery without residual pain or orthotics.

    Inspired by her journey, she founded PediPower in Zürich. Her Concept Foot Center is now dedicated to sharing these successful protocols, empowering others to reach their peak mobility through focused foot therapy, education, and multi-brand barefoot shoes.

    https://pedipower.ch/

    https://www.instagram.com/pedipower/

A photo of Marquita Volken in her shoe museum during the filming of Stupid Shoes documentary

  • Archeologist

    Dr. Marquita Volken is an archaeological detective for footwear and one of the world's foremost experts on shoe making history. The curator of the Musée de la chaussure in Lausanne, she pieces together ancient fragments to map the evolution of the shoe. She joins our film to pinpoint the historical missteps that led to the modern shoe.

    https://shoemuseum.ch/

Upcoming filming:

  • Podologist

  • Shoe industry expert

  • Barefoot shoe designer

  • Sociologist/psychologist specialized in our relationship to shoes and feet.

Resources

Want to get yourself out of “stupid shoes” but don’t know where to start?

Check out our helpful resources for buying barefoot shoes and improving your foot fitness.

Go to resources