Dr Wu has based his warning on findings relating to women in major US cities, who he says have similar fashion tastes to women in Hong Kong.

Wearing high, ill-fitting or pointed shoes for long periods of time can lead to hallux valgus or bunions, an often painful and swollen bump around the big toe. It can also be hereditary.

Dr Wu, director of Adventist Hospital's centre for bunion surgery, said wearing high heels and pointed shoes increased pressure on both feet and was responsible for at least half of Hong Kong cases.

Women were also 10 times more likely to get bunions than men due to genetic and environmental factors.

He said the female anatomy made women more vulnerable to ligament injuries, as did high heels.

'Our clinical observations show that women in developed cities like Hong Kong are more prone to suffer from the condition than women in developing countries.'

Besides pain, calluses and an unsightly appearance, sufferers also find it difficult to buy shoes. He said bunion sufferers might develop arthritis if the condition was left untreated.

To treat the problem, Dr Wu shies away from conventional bone-cutting surgery.

He prefers to use stitches to stabilise the ligament, which he says brings the big toe back into alignment.

Dr Wu has used this method of surgery on about 250 bunion feet in the past 10 years, of which 100 feet have been in Hong Kong.

He said results from this procedure were better than with conventional surgery and the problem had not reoccurred in his patients.

It took about six months for patients to recover and surgery, at the Adventist, costs $35,000 for each foot and includes three days in hospital. Having both feet done at once costs $60,000.