The good news for shoeaholics is that podiatrists recommend people own several pairs of shoes, wearing them on alternative days, renewing them regularly and varying the shoe type and heel height.
• Everyday heels should be kept to 4cm (1.6 inches), according to the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.
• Shoes with straps or laces across the instep stop feet from sliding forward, like a car seatbelt, and are thus less likely to lead to corns and bunions.
• The fungi that causes athlete's foot thrives in wet, dark conditions, so shoes made from soft natural fibre uppers are better, as they retain less moisture. Open-toed sandals (such as Scholls or Birkenstocks) are recommended in warm weather.
• During the summer, buy work shoes late in the afternoon, as shoes bought in the morning are often too small by the end of the day.
• Women's feet may swell during pregnancy, causing them to go up a size.
• Some people may not be able to find any shoes that are a comfortable fit. They may need to be prescribed custom-made orthopaedic footwear or in-soles supports called orthotics by a podiatrist, who will take a cast of their feet.
• More information is available at the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists' (UK) website at www.feetforlife.org