In the '90s many saw the humour in Lieutenant Stichie's song about the young woman who didn't wear her correct shoe size. However, the health risks of not wearing your correct shoe size or prolonged periods in stilettos are no laughing matter.

According to chiropodists Reuel Dodd, women are doing themselves a huge disservice by being victims of what fashion dictates. Corns, bunions, ingrown toenails and back pains are just a few of the issues he sees in Jamaican women who wear improper shoes.

"It's what fashion dictates and pride; shoes built for three toes now have to accommodate five," he says.

He explains that what happens when women constantly wear shoes with very high heels for extended periods, is that the toes get pushed backwards, bending them and exposing the joints, making way for corns and calluses.

Pointed-toe shoes that are always fashionable, he notes, cause pressure on both sides of the feet and cause soft corns which occur between the fourth and fifth toe, and are a major cause of bunions which occur at the base of the big toe.

Killer for diabetics

He notes that for diabetics, it's a killer. "There is loss of sensitivity in the feet so they are not feeling the pressure and there is also diminished circulation." These can cause abrasions which can lead to a toe having to be amputated to save a foot.

He explains that wearing improper shoes can also cause intense back pains which start at the toes, the arches and the ball of the feet, and extend all the way up to the vertical column. "Sometimes we have to send them to an orthopedic because their gait (way we walk) is all out of alignment and causes back pain." Dodd notes that this improper gait can cause difficulty delivering during pregnancy.

Care for the feet

He advises women who wear heels or improper shoes every day to:

(1) Give the feet a break on weekends by wearing sneakers if they are just going to walk around the mall.

(2) Reduce heels to two inches or make sure the shoes provide the toes with enough room.

(3) Slip feet out of their shoes and give them a break at the office, if they are not seated facing someone.

(4) Consult a chiropodist who can recommend suitable arch support.

(5) Make sure their shoes fit properly and don't just buy them because they are the correct size. It's good idea to have feet measured every five years.

Reuel Dodd is a chiropodist at Dodd's Chiropodists Clinic, 84 Lady Musgrave Road, with more than 50 years experience in England and Jamaica.