A Cinderella Story

Style – 15 December 2014

After hibernating in boots all winter, it can be daunting to get our feet into the daylight. Even for the most blessed tootsies making the move to open-toed heels and sandals can be intimidating, but for those with foot insecurities it can be mortifying. Uneven protruding toes, bunions, and oversized big toes are just some of the afflictions crushing the confidence of so many women each day.

However, new trends and innovations in beauty treatments signal the end of foot woes with a rise in cosmetic surgery procedures that can treat and alter almost anything. Originating from medical practices, plastic surgery for feet has now evolved to treat problems that inhibit lifestyle and have become increasingly popular in recent years, particularly in response to the desire to fit into narrow designer shoes.

‘Patients would bring in shoes they dreamed of wearing’, explains podiatrist Dr Ali Sadrieh, ‘On the surface it seemed vain but I came to see that they need these shoes to project confidence.’

Dr. Sadrieh’s Beverly Hills surgery is credited with ‘The Cinderella Procedure’, which allows you to finally wear shoes that didn’t fit before. This often involves removing any bumps or bunions, surgically altering the length of your toes and sometimes even slimming the big toe by removing bone in order to fit into those designer stilettos.

‘My practice has exploded because of Manolo and Louboutin,’ adds podiatrist Dr. Neal Blitz who performs similar procedures in his Manhattan practice.

Other popular procedures include the ‘Perfect Ten’, which shortens toes to achieve that aesthetically perfect curve where toes evenly decline in size, and the ‘Model-T’ which lengthens toes for an overall longer, more slender looking foot.

Dr. Suzanne Levine of Institute Beaute on Park Avenue specialises in injectable fillers for the pads of the feet. This is incredibly popular with celebrities and professional women who are constantly on their feet and often suffer from that burning sensation in the balls of their feet. “Pillows for your Feet” involves injecting the same filling agent used for the face into the soles of the feet and the result is apparently like walking on air. She also administers Myobloc to treat excessive sweating.

While several medical bodies have expressed concern about the repercussion of altering the structure of the feet, practicing surgeons do not believe there is any reason for apprehension. We’re not so sure we will be making an appointment any time soon.

For those looking for a less drastic way to freshen up your feet for summer, The Chuan Spa at The Langham Melbourne has a luxurious one-hour ‘Feet Retreat’ treatment. Bring tired feet back to life with an aromatic footbath, softening exfoliation, hydrating mud application and pedicure. RRP $149.

Visit: http://www.chuanspa.com/en/Melbourne/handfoot.html