If the Choos don't fit...

Manolos: women are desperate to wear them

It is the latest trend for the woman who wouldn't be seen dead without her Jimmy Choos or Manolo Blahniks.

Followers of fashion are paying thousands of pounds for 'foot facelifts' in which they have toe bones removed or their feet 'sculpted'. Some have even asked for liposuction.

The bizarre procedures are all so they can squeeze into the stylish - but not always practical - creations of the international designers without making their feet look ugly.

As heels become higher and shoes more narrow and pointed, some women have switched from the chemist shops, where they once sought pads and balms to soothe the pain of aching feet, to the doors of foot specialists for cosmetic surgery.

One advertising executive who is recovering from 'a small toe adjustment' said: 'It is part of the price and pain of fashion.'

In New York, chiropodist Dr Suzanne Levine said her Park Avenue surgery had never been busier. She offers £300 collagen injections in the soles of the feet as well as a £150 'foot facial' which is a scrubbing, vacuuming and moisturising procedure.

Some women had asked for 'toe liposuction' and she had advised them to see a therapist.

'Women are not going to give up,' said Dr Levine.

'They are in their forties and they want to have the sexy feet of a 20-year-old.'

A spokesman for a Los Angeles clinic said:'Women patients first start talking about a bunion or some other complaint and then get down to real reason for the visit. They want the feet shaped or the toes shortened.'

And Stephen Smith, a Californian chiropodist, said: 'We have had people who wanted toes taken off completely because their foot is too wide for stylish shoes. We just won't do that.'

Wendy Stroudberg, 28, who had a 'nail narrowing' and a

piece of bone removed from the second toe, said: 'Last year I had to bury my feet in the sand because they were so ugly. It was also agony to spend all day in pumps. Now I can wear them without pain.'

Asked if it would be simpler just to change shoes, she said: 'Never. I will never stop wearing those high heels. They give a woman a lift and poise. You feel good and many admire your legs.'

The bad news for Miss Stroudberg is that the operation might not be enough. Blahnik is making a toothpick-toe shoe that is 20 per cent narrower than normal and has a superhigh steel heel of 41/2in.

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