Are your shoes killing you?

We all love a killer pair of shoes … but are your shoes murdering your feet?

Posh Spice totters on sky-high heels, beset by painful bunions and bemoaning her “granny feet”. Sarah Jessica Parker tore tendons in her foot after a sprint in her trademark stilettos. But stilettos shouldn’t cop all the blame — wedges, platforms, thongs and even ballet flats can leave you with unhappy feet.

Alannah Andrews, executive officer of the Australian Podiatry Association (Vic.), loves a sexy stiletto as much as the next gal, but she advises wearing them in moderation.

“Sure, go and buy your good shoes, but wear them on occasion — don’t wear them all the time. An occasional wear won’t cause a problem — constant wear does,” she explains. “Every bit of footwear you have in the cupboard is fine for a purpose, but thongs weren’t ever designed for the workplace, and 12cm stilettos weren’t designed to go walking in.

“Try to wear a variety of shoes every week. You might be wearing a really bad pair today, but if you wear a sensible pair tomorrow, your body is going to thank you for that.”