Are you stiletto high?

Longer legs, a more elegant silhouette, and a walk exuding sex appeal.
 When you slip into a pair of towering heels, something magic happens to your self-confidence.
But most of us could cry with relief when we kick them off at the end of a long day.
So it comes as no surprise to learn about the damage they do.
Latest figures from the College of Podiatry show nine in ten UK women suffer from foot problems at some point (around 20  million), with almost half admitting to wearing shoes that are uncomfortable... for the sake of fashion. I wonder how many are from Nigeria...

A survey of UK podiatrists revealed that unsuitable footwear is the leading cause of foot problems they see in their patients.
And according to our gruesome graphic, high heels can affect everything from your back to your battered toes, check out more...

Andrea Sott, a consultant orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon at St Anthony's Hospital in Surrey, says: 'Damage caused by wearing heels can be permanent...ouch.

People who wear heels all day walk differently when barefoot as a result. It can lead to metatarsalgia and other painful conditions like plantar fasciitis, when tissue on the sole gets inflamed.'

Our feet are an extraordinary feat of engineering - with a quarter of all the bones in the human body. Each has 26 bones, 33 joints, 107 ligaments and 19 muscles.
So how can you spot the heels which will cause greatest damage to your feet?

The higher the heel, the greater the pressure - and the pain. So those six-inch Louboutins might make you wince.
Their designer Christian Louboutin even claims most women have a 'quasi-masochistic experience' with their stilettos.
Our backs suffer, too, due to how heels alter the natural alignment of our bodies, and can cause serious spinal pain.
And once the spine is out of kilter, the pelvis follows, and a 'sexy' walk becomes a hobble to the chiropractor's surgery.

STILETTO ALSO HAS SOME  FUN FACTS THOUGH   *wink wink

1. The height of a stiletto can range from 2.54 cm to 20.32 cm

2. The original Italian stiletto has a built-in thin stick of steel or other alloy

3. The first needle heels were created by French shoemaker Andre Perugia during the 40s

4. The Italian stiletto of the late 50s and early 60s did not exceed 5 mm in diameter and was often banned in public places for damaging flooring

5. The stiletto became the trademark of the ’50s thanks to French fashion designer, Roger Vivier who worked for Christian Dior and designed shoes for Queen Elizabeth II and The Beatles

6. Hugh Hefner chooses a classic black shoe with stiletto as part of the official clothing of the Playboy Playmate in 1960