If Hoboken resident Christine Datig, 28, had her way, she would walk all over her competition. Datig, who works for a Manhattan financial services firm, has been named a finalist in the Fourth Annual World’s Most Beautiful Feet Contest.
The finalists were recently chosen from thousands of entries that had been mailed and e-mailed to Foot.com and Shoes.com between Memorial Day weekend and the contest deadline, August 1.
They were judged by a panel of foot care experts, podiatrists and pedorthists, and have already won a $100 gift certificate from Shoes.com.
The 10 finalists hail from places such as Florida, Hawaii, Kansas, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and of course New Jersey. In fact Hudson County seems to have a foot up on the rest of the country with two
finalists, Datig (contestant no. 6), and Alexandra Barzvi (contestant no. 9) of
West New York both making the final cut (see sidebar).
The grand prize winner will spend seven nights at a SuperClubs all-inclusive Caribbean resort of their choice. A professional photographer will also create a portfolio of the winner’s feet, to start her on a foot-modeling career.
This isn’t Datig’s first time entering the contest. It’s actually the third time that she has put her feet to the fire and decided to enter.
"My dad found an ad for this contest on the internet one day," said Datig. "I thought to myself ‘what a silly and fun thing to try.’ So I got my boyfriend to take a picture of my feet and we e-mailed it in."
But after two years of not making the finals, Datig was about ready to throw in (er…kick) in the towel.
"It was now or never," she said, "If I didn’t win this year that was going to be it."
But her picture of her feet confidently and comfortably resting upon a pillow caught the eye of the judges, and she has made it to the final round of 10.
Now it’s up to the public pick the winner. This year as in past years, finalists have waged campaigns among friends, co-workers and family members to encourage voting. Datig has sent personally sent out countless e-mails to family and friends, and has reached out to media to help her cause.
"I really think I have a good chance," said Datig. "They are very pretty feet."
Now if her campaigning can get out to the Hoboken electorate, she will be a shoe-in for the title.
The 10 finalists are posted online on Foot.com and Shoes.com. The public can vote online for the grand prize winner through September 19. The winner will be announced Sept. 22.
Remember, Datig is contestant number six (the feet do not have the contestant’s name beside them).
WNY woman also in the, uh, running…
.
Alexandra Barzvi is the proud owner of a brand-new, just minted Ph.D. in Clinical Psychology. The 33-year-old graduate of the University of Connecticut’s Master’s Program worked very hard to achieve this, and takes her field seriously.
Barzvi, a resident of West New York and native of New York City, is also the owner of a pretty nice set of feet.
And to this end, Barzvi was recently chosen as one of the 10 finalists in the World’s Most Beautiful Feet contest. As a finalist, Barzvi won a $100 gift certificate to Shoes.com and Foot.com.
While it may seem strange or incongruous for a Ph.D. to enter a contest of this nature, Barzvi feels it’s completely normal.
"I like to defy expectations," said Barzvi in a telephone interview from her West New York home. "I always see things in life as a possibility."
Barzvi’s positive attitude certainly helped her get through the arduous process of earning her degree. And to hear her tell it, it just may help her win the contest.
Said Barzvi, "I had to get very creative with ways to clear my mind during the long writing process [of her dissertation]," she said. "After all, there are only so many hours I can spend in the gym or cooking for one."
According to Barzvi, she first heard about the contest four years ago from, of all sources, her mom. Barzvi entered the contest then, but didn’t win.
"My mom is so cute," said Barzvi. "She is always collecting newspaper clippings and articles about things that may interest me. In this case I decided to take a digital photo of my feet and send it in."
Barzvi had good reason to be confident in her feet. "People have always told me that I had nice feet and a very high arch," she said. "I chalk it up to the many years of ballet training that I had at the School of American Ballet in New York City. Plus, I used to literally stand on my toe as a child."
Barzvi’s love of travel is the impetus for wanting to win the contest. Said Barzvi, "The last few years have been tough, a lot of work. I’d love to be able to take a trip and relax. I was really disappointed when I didn’t win. I came in as a runner-up and I didn’t win the trip, which that year was a trip to Mexico, I think. Hopefully, I’ll do better this year."
Regardless of the outcome of the pretty feet contest, Barzvi has grand designs on the future. Said Barzvi, "I’d love to eventually have a not-for-profit organization that can help many people straighten their lives out." – Dylan Archilla