The wear and tear of walking on tip-toes

Every girl loves to feel stylish and glamorous. Just take Hannah Montana: The Movie, in which the teen star fights for the last pair of high heels with a TV star in a Beverly Hills shoe shop. Before you follow her lead, read this.

This season, heels have never been higher, despite podiatrists' (foot doctors) warning that prolonged wearing of killer heels could lead to all sorts of health problems. A recent survey by the American Podiatric Medical Association found that 42 per cent of women admitted they'd wear a shoe they liked even if it gave them discomfort.

So why are heels so hazardous?

Stiletto heels are not designed with walking in mind, says the Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Department at the Mayo Clinic in the United States. Donning heels that are 5 centimetres or higher shifts the force of each step we take so that the pressure ends up on the bones at the base of the toes and on the ball of the foot.

What's more, wearing heels every day for hours on end can make your foot slide forward, cramming your toes into the front of the shoe. This may lead to calluses and corns - these are thick layers of dead skin found on the sides of the foot and on the toes, which is your body's way of protecting itself against damage.

High heels can lead to hammertoes, where the bones of the toes curl under and become deformed. Surgery is needed to straighten out the bones.