BREAKING NEWS ........

After almost ten years of hard work "The Alliance of Private Sector Practitioners" have now gained Professional Standards Authority accreditation of its register of Foot Health Practitioners.  This means that all Foot Health Practitioners who are on the Accredited Voluntary Register work to approved standards of good practice that are monitored and they are committed to continuous professional development. For the patients this means that they can choose a Foot Health Practitioner belonging to a register that is vetted and approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care and also offers them enhanced consumer protection. 

This register has been accredited under a new scheme set up by the Department of Health and administered by an independent body, accountable to Parliament.  Accredited registers are subject to annual review to ensure that governance continues to meet the set standards.
 
Please find below web links detailing further information about the register including a link where you can check who is registered or find an accredited practitioner in your area.
 
http://www.foothealthpractitionerregister.co.uk/
http://www.foothealthpractitionerregister.co.uk/CheckTheFootHealthPractitionerRegister.htm
http://www.professionalstandards.org.uk/library/document-detail?id=a52636fa-d5ac-4996-8d0b-60f4bab583b2

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Babies make for bigger feet - Daily Telegraph - 4th March 2013

Being pregnant can change your shoe size forever researchers say.  A study appears to confirm mother's often voiced opinions that bearing a child can change the size and shape of one's feet.

Prof Neil Segal of the University of Iowa said "I have heard women reporting changes in their shoe size, but found nothing about that in medical journals or textbooks.  So we measured women's feet at the beginning of their pregnancy and five months after delivery".  The feet of 60 to 70 per cent of the women in the sample of 49  became wider and  between two and ten millimetres longer as their arches dropped, the researchers report in the American Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation. 

Prof Segal now plans follow up studies to assess whether these foot changes lead to musculoskeletal disorders such as arthritis later in life.

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One for the ladies ..... Telling Whoppas and Selling Whoppas ......

It is reported by Dana Gloger, the Consumer Affairs Editor of the Daily Express, Wednesday August 3rd 2011, that women's feet are getting bigger.  She reports an 80% increase in demand for ladies size 9 shoes.

Experts say that the female foot is now one and a half sizes greater than just 10 years ago.  Women are taller and heavier than they were.

Many high-profile women have bigger feet, she reports, and cites Nicole Kidman, Michelle Obama, Paris Hilton and Kate Winslet - all take size 9s - the same foot size as the average British man.

Market research by Debenhams has identified that 82% of women are embarrassed by their big feet, and more than three-quarters have purchased shoes online to avoid having to admit their size.  Forty-seven per cent have lied to their partner or friends to conceal the size of their feet.  Knowing that nearly two thirds of women feel uncomfortable asking a shop assistant for larger sizes, Debenhams have learned to put size 9s and 10s out on the shelves so that women can help themselves.

Style gurus say that:

• High heels emphasise the leg and draw attention away from the foot.
• White or beige make feet look bigger - choose dark colours to reduce apparent foot size.
• Pointed toes add to shoe length - rounded toes emphasise the width and reduce the length.
• Peep toes and sling backs are the most flattering options for large feet.

 Kate, your feet are beautiful, just like you!