It was the first organization against foot binding in China.
It was followed by other Western Christian missionary societies, who incorporated the work against foot binding in to their missionary work.
The Christian missionaries condemned foot binding as a Barbaric custom oppressive of women.
They banned foot binding among Christian Chinese, and banned women with bound feet to study or work in their missionary schools.
The Heavenly Foot Society and the other missionary societes against foot binding had limited effect because it associated the abolition of foot binding with religious missionary work.