History Main / CrueltyByFeet

** In "[[Recap/Invincible2021S01E08WhereIReallyComeFrom Where I Really Come From]]"", after using his son's body to destroy an oncoming train full of civilians, Omniman notices one survivor trapped under rubble trying to reach is dead daughter. To illustrate to Mark how little they mean to him, he crushes the father by dropping down onto the rubble feet-first.

* Levi in ''Manga/AttackOnTitan'' ''exploits'' this trope [[CruelToBeKind to save Eren from execution]]. When Eren's about to be shot during his trial, Levi starts ''savagely'' kicking him and even stomping on his head, which shocks everyone into demanding that he be left alone. [[LampshadeHanging Levi questions why everyone is so upset when they were just about to have the boy shot.]] [[BigSisterInstinct This doesn't make Mikasa any less outraged by Levi's cruelty]], especially as [[ForcedToWatch she has to watch the brutal assault and can't stop it without making things worse for Eren.]]
** After witnessing the Female Titan stomp on multiple people, Armin attemts to motivate his companions by angrily declaring how she not only killed their friend, but dealt them a humiliating death on top of it.

** In the {{Filler}} episode 68 of the ''Shippuden''-anime, Naruto fights Fuuka. After he cuts her hair, she furiously kicks him to the ground and [[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/367aeb13-be3b-4cbf-977b-ce780bef943d/de7totm-d5e36cd6-f957-4368-b8e2-27c33fd09711.jpg/v1/fill/w_1214,h_658,q_70,strp/naruto_shippuden_e68_by_femdom_ots_fan_de7totm-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9Njk0IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvMzY3YWViMTMtYmUzYi00Y2JmLTk3N2ItY2U3ODBiZWY5NDNkXC9kZTd0b3RtLWQ1ZTM2Y2Q2LWY5NTctNDM2OC1iOGUyLTI3YzMzZmQwOTcxMS5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTI4MCJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.kS_7KMcWt722CdpUB6xHjgWJF2k7Sf90nCCCnG03NPc stomps on his chest]] so hard, it knocks him out.
*** A downplayed variant happened a few episodes earlier where Fuuka had defeated him before and stomped on his face multiple times to see whether he was knocked out smiling. However, she did it more gently as she wanted to give him a KissOfDeath.

* A heroic example occurs in ''Anime/StreetFighterIITheAnimatedMovie'', where Chun-Li stomps on Vega's face with her bare foot and then pivots on the foot, twisting and bruising his face.

* A DC issue of ''ComicBook/ThePowerpuffGirls'' had the Micro-Puffs (tiny and troublesome sprite avatars of the girls) making Blossom giant size, so she turns the tables by trapping the Micro-Puffs under her foot.
** "Tragic Marker" had Mojo Jojo using a magic marker to make things appear by changing the wording of it, so he changes a "Stop" sign into "Stomp." The ''Monty Python'' foot drops on top of the girls.
* In the graphic novel ''[[WesternAnimation/SheRaAndThePrincessesOfPower She-Ra and the Princesses of Power: Legend of the Fire Princess]]'', Adora gets tag-team beaten by Catra and Scorpia. Catra proceeds to [[https://2.bp.blogspot.com/fOIhoFEMT4CKcgeRYYCMAnx7OOAwzTbQn0OqXjR3TAt3Lws4jK-ussyLn33dA1wRoHOQFfXeSQriIvMEUSn87C36Xdwuoxjbav4ywyLkUrP3KQn9clvIzNsA6qo3vOhs2Nwb9ssBhw=s1600 stomp on her back leaning on it]] more and more which visibly hurts Adora.
* In ''ComicBook/Supergirl2005'', Luthor knocked out Supergirl by shooting her with a beam of Black Kryptonite. This caused an evil Supergirl to materialize from the unconscious heroine. This 'Dark Supergirl' delivers a beatdown to Luthor. But when Supergirl starts to regain consciousness, she [[https://images-wixmp-ed30a86b8c4ca887773594c2.wixmp.com/f/367aeb13-be3b-4cbf-977b-ce780bef943d/dezft6i-375e6114-cba7-4ffe-96df-4ae3247c4aa9.jpg/v1/fill/w_977,h_818,q_70,strp/supergirl_vol_5__4_by_femdom_ots_fan_dezft6i-pre.jpg?token=eyJ0eXAiOiJKV1QiLCJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJ1cm46YXBwOjdlMGQxODg5ODIyNjQzNzNhNWYwZDQxNWVhMGQyNmUwIiwiaXNzIjoidXJuOmFwcDo3ZTBkMTg4OTgyMjY0MzczYTVmMGQ0MTVlYTBkMjZlMCIsIm9iaiI6W1t7ImhlaWdodCI6Ijw9ODY0IiwicGF0aCI6IlwvZlwvMzY3YWViMTMtYmUzYi00Y2JmLTk3N2ItY2U3ODBiZWY5NDNkXC9kZXpmdDZpLTM3NWU2MTE0LWNiYTctNGZmZS05NmRmLTRhZTMyNDdjNGFhOS5qcGciLCJ3aWR0aCI6Ijw9MTAzMiJ9XV0sImF1ZCI6WyJ1cm46c2VydmljZTppbWFnZS5vcGVyYXRpb25zIl19.bugWpdtHLnL-YkdTVLlzs-c5y25osXyEMUbz9J0Zaf8 stomps her head into the ground]] to keep her knocked out.

* Randall in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc1'' [[HandStomp steps on Sullivan's fingers]] as he hangs from a high ledge while [[EvilGloating unloading all his resentment at him and smiling]].

* Mixed with DominanceThroughFurniture in ''Film/ThreeHundred''. Xerxes is introduced being carried on a massive throne that puts him at least ten extra feet off the ground. He then uses the backs of his slaves as stairs to get down to speak to Leonidas, clearly to show him how much power Xerxes has.

* The infamous curb-stomping scene from ''Film/AmericanHistoryX'' where Derek Vineyard, in full Neo-Nazi hate mode, forces one of three would-be car thieves to bite the curb and then stomps down hard on his head with horrifying and fatal results. [[HarmfulToMinors His younger brother is left in total shock by the scene.]]

* [[NightmareFuel A particularly brutal example]] in ''Film/BrawlInCellBlock99''. After [[TranquilFury Bradley reaches his breaking point]], he shows no qualms about using his feet (and by extension, his mass) to commit ''devastating'' acts of violence. The most notable example is when he knocks out a prisoner in a fight, stomps on the back of his head, and threatens to finish him off. When the villain of the film doesn't do what Bradley says, he then ''scrapes the guy's pressed down face against the concrete'', needlessly killing him slowly and painfully. He then rolls him over to show the guy's buddies that his [[FacialHorror face has been peeled off]]. [[EvenEvilHasStandards Even the hardened gangsters are absolutely horrified.]]

* During ''{{Film/Cronos}}'' elderly ImmortalitySeeker Dieter is fed on by a vampire and lays still and bloody on the ground. Angel, the nephew he used as a flunky and had abused repeatedly through the film, finds him and celebrates only to find his EvilUncle alive and saying his name. Without hesitating, Angel puts his feet on Dieter's throat and presses down, killing him.
* The MadeForTVMovie "A Cry for Help: The Tracy Thurman Story" starring Creator/NancyMcKeon is based on the true account of a battered wife. The worst thing her husband does to her is knock her down and stomp on her head while she's lying on the sidewalk. This causes her to be partially paralyzed on one side and she ends up suing the local authorities for "failure to protect" since she'd been begging them to take her seriously.

* ''Film/RamboIV'' has a more brutal example when an SPDC trooper attacking the Karen village is seen [[WouldHurtAChild pressing his boot to a young boy's head and pinning him down to run him through with a bayonet]].

* In ''Film/GIJoeTheRiseofCobra'', while everyone else in her squad steps over the guard they just murdered, [[DesecratingTheDead the Baroness purposely steps on his body for literally no reason but to be a dick.]]

* ''[[Film/MortalKombatTheMovie Mortal Kombat (1995)]]'': Shang Tsung shows his ruthless side at the end of his fight with Chan by performing a FinishingStomp on his back, producing a sickening crunch that breaks his spine.

* ''Literature/{{Durarara}}'': A SignatureScene is when Izaya, who is... quite the misanthropist to put it mildly, for his own amusement, takes the phone of some random girl in public and starts stomping on it while laughing like a maniac.
* ''Literature/{{Medallion}}'' : When she see's one of her own servants dying on the floor, evil queen Kespa deliberately steps on the girl's head with the heel of her boot, crushing her skull in the process.

* In ''Literature/ASongOfIceAndFire'':

* ''Literature/TheWrathOfAmbar'', The primary antagonist of the series, major Shayla, is a utter sadist who enjoys humiliating her inferiors by forcing them to lick her boots clean. In one scene, she intentionally steps on a innocent child's hand and grinds it beneath her boot all because she was having a bad day.

* In the ''Series/BlackMirror'' episode "[[Recap/BlackMirrorUSSCallister USS Callister]]", the DecoyProtagonist is revealed to be a petty, [[{{Sadist}} sadistic]] creep when he chokes [[RevengeByProxy the simulated version of his business partner]] and then [[DominanceThroughFurniture forces him to be his footstool]]. All sympathy he had from the audience before this point instantly evaporates.
* ''Series/{{The Boys|2019}}''
** The audience already knows that Homelander is likely a sociopath and narcissist, but what reveals him to be a {{sadist}} is him [[ForTheEvulz slowly crushing a helpless terrorist's skull under his foot for kicks]]. [[NightmareFetishist He smiles at the results.]]

** In "Herogasm", [[spoiler:Homelander kills a shrunken and severely burnt Termite by squashing him under his heel on his way inside the mansion.]] While it may appear like an AccidentalMurder at first, the fact that Homelander has super hearing implies that he could hear [[spoiler: Termite's cries for help.]]
* In ''Series/BreakingBad'', [[spoiler:Hector did something like this to Gus after murdering his best friend and possible lover, Max. [[ForcedToWatch He planted his foot on Gus's head to force him to look at Max's face]].]]
* ''Series/{{CSINY}}'': In the season three finale, "[[Recap/CSINYS03E24 Snow Day]]," Danny and Adam are held hostage by a gang of drug dealers whose leader catches Danny about to use his cell phone. He takes the phone, stomps it to pieces, then stomps on Danny's hand as well, breaking some fingers. Danny later screams in agony as he straightens them out enough to use his badge as a temporary splint.

** In "[[Recap/StrangerThingsS4E1ChapterOneTheHellfireClub The Hellfire Club]]", after El has given her presentation on Jim Hopper, she's walking through the school with it in her arms, when [[AlphaBitch Angela]] trips her, causing her to drop it. Angela's friend Jake then puts his foot in it and drags it around with said foot to wreck it.

* [[RichBitch Celia]] in ''Series/{{Weeds}}'' tortures her husband (who is wheelchair bound at the time) [[DomesticAbuse at one point by knocking him onto the floor and stepping on his already broken hand]]. When he doesn't give her what she wants, [[GroinAttack she plants her foot on his crotch]]. [[TortureAlwaysWorks He gives in immediately.]]
* In the first episode of ''Series/TheYoungPope'', Lenny uses the tradition of Archbishops kissing his feet upon coronation as [[EvilIsPetty an excuse to force one that he dislikes to humiliate himself by doing it]], going as far as to needlessly force the old man's head down with his other foot. This, and many other things, made the [[VillainProtagonist intentionally unsympathetic protagonist]] a little ''too'' unlikable for audiences to get attached to from the get-go, which is cited as one of the reasons the series did not go beyond one season.

* In Greek mythology, a SerialKiller named Sciron uses the cliffs of the Greek coast to rob and murder travellers. His favorite way of doing this was forcing the travellers to wash his feet, and then when they knealt down, kicked them off the cliff into the sea below. Theseus slays him, and some versions say that he defeats Sciron by [[KarmicDeath grabbing his feet and throwing him off the cliff.]]
* In [[UsefulNotes/{{Hinduism}} Hinduism]], Kali is often depicted with her foot planted on Shiva's chest, usually while on a battlefield. It is less of an example of cruelty though, and more a symbol of humanity's subservience to nature, which Kali represents.

* ''WebAnimation/DeathBattle'': In the final moments of Black Adam vs Apocalypse, En Sabah Nur repeatedly stomps on Teth-Adam's face leaving it increasingly more bloody before lifting him up into the sky to show him that he failed to protect his people when they needed him the most. Apocalypse then kills Black Adam by electrocuting him with the living lighting before tossing away his opponent's corpse and delivering an evil laugh in celebration of his victory.

[[folder:Web Comics]]
* ''WebComic/LeifAndThorn'': An indentured servant's manager orders him to kneel and [[https://leifandthorn.com/comic/leif-in-lockdown-part-4/ puts his foot on his head]] while interrogating him regarding a suspected escape attempt.

* An implied example in ''WesternAnimation/AvatarTheLastAirbender'', Azula (who's losing her mind) is getting her feet scrubbed [[KickTheDog while she terrifies one of her servants]] for [[DisproportionateRetribution leaving a pit in one of her cherries, and then banishes her]].

** The Kankers do this twice at the end of ''Key to My Ed''. First May and Marie take turns jumping on Ed's back and later they force the Eds to play footsies with them much to their disgust ([[TooKinkyToTorture except for Ed, who simply comments "Clammy!"]]).
** In ''Once Upon an Ed'' a giant version of Lee stomps the daylights out of Jimmy and Sarah.
** During the finale, Lee Kanker does this to the audience with a GrossUpCloseUp while simultaneously standing on poor Jimmy's spine.

** In "We Need To Talk", after using his son's body to destroy an oncoming train full of civilians, Omniman notices one survivor trapped under rubble trying to reach is dead daughter. To illustrate to Mark how little they mean to him, he crushes the father by dropping down onto the rubble feet-first.

* Randall in ''WesternAnimation/MonstersInc'' [[HandStomp steps on Sullivan's fingers]] as he hangs from a high ledge while [[EvilGloating unloading all his resentment at him and smiling]].

Naturally, this can be considered a SisterTrope of KickThemWhileTheyAreDown, but the difference is that the act of cruelty has to ''literally'' be committed by the character's feet. The power imbalance is key here. Kicks being used in a fight scene is not an example unless one of the characters is on the ground or otherwise helpless. Compare and contrast FinishingStomp, CurbStompBattle, DismissiveKick, KickTheDog, TrampledUnderfoot, WeaponStomp, AgitatedItemStomping, CrushTheKeepsake, and HandStomp, which can all be considered [[SubTrope Sub-Tropes]] of this. Also compare GiantFootOfStomping and IKissYourFoot, which can be an example of this if the intention is to humiliate or bully someone. Also see DominanceThroughFurniture, which is similar thematically. [[JustForFun/IThoughtItMeant Not to be confused with]] AgonyOfTheFeet, which is when one's own foot gets hurt from stepping on something.