my feet are ruined!
Women have admitted in a recent survey that they are embarrassed about their feet with many having suffered a foot problem.
The College of Podiatry revealed that 90% of women have suffered with a foot problem due to uncomfortable shoes as 20% confessed they were embarrassed about their feet. Half of the women surveyed admitted that fashion was the main reason to wearing uncomfortable shoes.
June is national Feel for Life month which aims to raise awareness of the importance of good foot health and the latest research found that 1 in 10 women have resorted to covering up their feet in front of people or on a sunny day because they don’t like how their feet look.
The survey found that the most common foot problems amongst women are blisters with 55% of women suffering with this problem. 45% of people admit to having cracked heels while 28% suffer from verrucas. Corns are another foot problem amongst 24% of women and ingrown toenails was another high problem. More than twice the number of women to men report suffering from corns, cracked heels and bunions.
Despite these problems, 19% of women haven’t sought help because they didn’t think their foot complaint wasn't important.
Women are known for their collection of shoes and the survey showed that the UK average women own, on average, 17 pairs of shoes, compared to just 8 pairs for the average male. Women are not one to cry about pain, as almost half of the women surveyed admitted to putting up with the discomfort for their love of shoes. They even said that they have worn shoes they knew didn’t fit them because they looked nice.
Not only that, but when wearing uncomfortable shoes, such as high heels, women report it takes an average of 1 hour, 6 minutes and 48 seconds for their feet to start hurting. 20% say they start to feel pain within just 10 minutes. When it comes to a night out, we’re past caring it seems. 37% say they have walked home with no shoes as their feet hurt and 20% have danced bare foot while on a night out because of foot pain.
In a separate survey amongst podiatrists, they report that the biggest cause of foot problems in the UK is footwear, with a lack of public awareness of common foot complaints also contributing to the problem.
Lorraine Jones, podiatrist from The College of Podiatry said: “It’s shocking how little regard we show with our feet. Feet are one of the hardest working parts of the body and in a lifetime you will walk in excess of 150,000 miles. As a result of general wear and tear, most of us will suffer with some sort of foot complaint at some point in our lives but we are seeing a lot of cases which could have been prevented- particular amongst women."
She added: "Conditions like blisters and cracked heels may sound like minor ailment, but they can cause a lot of discomfort and embarrassment. Many people don’t seek treatment early enough which means they suffer unnecessarily and their problems get worse.”