Look at the top left picture on the opening page of this site. They are in a shape. See the ladies left foot. She is right to the extreme part of her toe. This is what I am looking at with the top dancers in an extension of the foot in a Feather Step. The man also when he is going backwards, the same. Next time the videos or DVD 's are played cast the eyes to the feet. This is what we should be trying to copy. Forget the fancy variations untill this is perfected and becomes a part of your dancing on all the backward walks.

Footnote to the above. The picture does change continuously. Watch for the Standard couple.

You do realize that picture is of an old-style throwaway oversway rather than of a travelling figure. The lady is unlikely to transfer her weight onto the pointed foot, instead she will withdraw it - so while there's some similarity to the position of the foot early in a backwards walk, it's not quite the same.

Anonymous. As you say it is a picture step, the body is too far back to be a normal Backward Walk. But the foot has extended to the last part of the toe. I say again , this is what I am looking at by the six finalists in the last IDSF competition I taped. Each couple did a solo Foxtrot and both the men and the ladies extend to the tip of the toe.This I would say is a aquired thing only found in those that spend the hours going up and down the floor. And as Karen Hardy said when asked in the Rumba Walks. How long do you need to practise theses walks. The answer was forever. Now transfer that to the Standard style each day and every day. Go to it guys. It can't do any harm can it.