We girls are probably aware that fabulous designer shoes have their downside, with bunions and aching backs among the common problems.
But our friends across the pond are going to altogether more serious lengths to ensure that they are foot perfect.
Cosmetic foot surgery is the latest US craze, and American ladies have been rushing to the Beverly Hills Aesthetic Foot Surgery in California in order to squeeze their toes into those killer heels.
Apparently the clinic's clients include movie stars, models and athletes and there are a variety of procedures on offer.
The trademarked "Cinderella procedure" makes the feet narrower with a preventive bunion correction, the "Perfect 10! Aesthetic toe shortening" means you're tootsies will never be crushed in those pointed stilettos, and the "Foot-tuck fat pad augmentation" involves taking fat from the abdomen to inject into the balls of the feet, giving you extra cushioning for a long day's shopping.
Podiatrist and founder of the clinic, Ali Sadrieh, told the Wall Street Journal: "It's unrealistic to tell women not to wear high heels. I came up with procedures that allow the women to function, pain-free, in the real world!"
He says "pain-free" but we imagine there's a fair amount of suffering before patients can wear anything other than a pair of comfy slippers.
But it seems likely that it won't be long before the foot surgery craze crosses the Atlantic.
Just be warned ladies, Mike Paynton, chairman of the British Chiropody and Podiatry Association, told the
Daily Mail: "The foot is a complicated structure and you cannot alter one part of it without throwing another out."
What do you think? Is cosmetic foot surgery a step too far? Leave your comments below...
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Wednesday 28 July
By whp
Oh my God, this planet - or at least the western half of it - has truly gone insane.
Reply
Wednesday 28 July
By snugglypup
completely agree, who gets surgery just to fit into shoes?? madness.
Wednesday 28 July
By geisha
the Far East weren't much better with the Chinese practice of foot binding
Wednesday 28 July
By scaranda
Yeah, and the Eastern half bound female children's feet for centuries, deforming them in the name of beauty.
Wednesday 28 July
By shirlash
And there was me thinking shoes were made to fit feet, not the other way round.
There is NO WAY I would consider having anything unnecessary done to my feet. If anything goes wrong you could end up unable to walk. A senseless risk.
Reply
Wednesday 28 July
By DEBBIE
If anyone had Big toes as BIG and LONG as mine, you would do anything to have them shortened and not just to fit inside a fancy shoe but just so that you could wear a simple flat sandal rather than spend your whole life hiding your feet for shame and to protect the public!!
Reply
Wednesday 28 July
By Sandy
Debbie, you should not be ashamed of any part of your body. You must have been told this a thousand times. For heaven's sake, stop being brainwashed by the fashion and beauty industry who want you to feel ashamed so that you will spend your money on make-overs, surgery, and all the rest of their rubbish.
Wednesday 28 July
By Lucy
Debbie I'm with you all the way! I've had bunions all my life since I was aware I had feet - not caused by high heels - and I've been hiding them for 40 years! And it's all very well people saying leave it all alone, but those are the very people who point and say "yuk! look at the state of your feet!!" people can be so cruel. I remember as a child hiding my feet in the sand on holiday :-( only reason I haven't had them done yet is cause I'm frightened I'll never be able to wear heels ever again, and at my height that's not an option!
Wednesday 28 July
By Toes ..
I'm sure you must as you say be uber self-conscious about your feet and that's a pity for you because I'm sure you're a wonderful girl, but what is really bad and a surfire turn-off are ugly infected toes, which I truly hope you don't have. It's amazing the number of women who have toes with thick, horny, misshapen nails as a result of fungal infection, and seem to just live with the condition, trying to hide it with nail varnish. It is of course caused by poor foot hygiene over a lengthy period of time and once taken hold it's the devil to get rid of.
Debbie, I hope you have beautiful HEALTHY feet even if you believe they are larger than the norm. Be happy with that as a body feature because I can assure you you will be in the 'beautiful' minority!
Wednesday 28 July
By ebc1001
Shirlash - whatever gave you the idea shoes were made to fit feet? If that were the case women wouldnt need to even consider surgery! For years I have wished I could have a bit sliced off the side of my feet so I could fit into nice shoes, but the sad fact is my feet are so broad I would need to have whole toes removed even to make it into an unglamourous E fitting! Women have only themselves to blame - if we demanded better fittings instead of squeezing our feet into what is on offer, all these foot problems would not arise.
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