Head of the British College of Osteopathic Medicine, Dr Ian Drysdale, has warned that the trend for wearing cheap, Ugg-style boots has fuelled a rise in the number of young women requiring treatment for foot deformities.

The Daily Mail reports that there is rising concern among doctors, chiropodists and podiatrists that women who buy cheaper replicas of the designer brand Ugg might be putting the health of their feet at risk.

Dr Drysdale said that the structure of the soft boots means that the feet are literally ‘slipping around’ inside:

'Because these boots are warm and soft, young girls think they are giving their feet a break – in fact, they are literally breaking their feet.

‘With each step, the force falls towards the inside of the foot and the feet splay. This flattens the arch and makes it drop. 

'The result can be significant problems with the foot, the ankle, and ultimately, the hip.'

Ugg boots have been popularised by images of stars such as Kate Moss, Claudia Schiffer and Sienna Miller wearing them in the press. However, the Australian brand boots can cost around £150 a pair and the high street has been flooded with less expensive copies.

Experts say that just six months of wearing a cheaper brand might end up crippling the wearer, however, causing deformities and pain in the feet – as well as backache – through lack of support for the feet.

Experts have warned against children wearing unstructured footwear such as cheaper imitations of Ugg boots, because their feet are still developing and the lack of support could cause long-term damage.

However, Dr Drysdale said that cheaper Ugg-style boots might be fine to wear at home, but warned that they should not be worn for walking long distances.

Ugg Australia also admitted that its boots were 'comfort footwear' rather than 'performance footwear' – and added that buyers should be aware of 'knock-offs' which lacked reinforced heels or insoles to give support to the feet.

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