Men warned that the bare ankle look is a shoo-in for more than just smelly feet

THE trend for wearing shoes without socks may be leading to a rise in cases of problems such as athlete’s foot, the College of Podiatry has warned.

The “bare ankle” look has filtered down from the catwalk to the most avid followers of fashion, with designers of menswear showcasing their formal attire with sockless models in suits.

Some Hollywood stars have experimented with the style, including Bradley Cooper, Ryan Gosling, Orlando Bloom and Jude Law – and online guides on how to go “sockless with style” are littered with advice on how to adopt the look, with pointers such as wearing slim tailored trousers.

Yet beyond the inevitable concern of suffering from smelly shoes brought about by a lack of cotton, it appears men are failing to realise some of the serious repercussions and are seeking help from podiatrists and chiropodists.

“As a whole, we are seeing more and more men coming to us with issues

caused by poorly fitting footwear, and not just ones choosing to go sockless,” says Emma Stevenson, from the College of Podiatry.

Because the phenomenon is still in its early stages, the college is yet to carry out any formal studies to shed light on the number of people affected – but is keen to make sure people are aware of potential health problems.

For example, sweat, if not soaked up by socks, is maintained in synthetic and non-breathable material – leaving people open to fungal infections.

Mrs Stevenson said: “Depending on the level of sweatiness of the foot, there may be issues with too much moisture in the feet, which can leave you vulnerable to fungal infections such as athlete’s foot.

“On average, your feet will sweat half a pint a day; that’s a lot to be pouring out straight into your shoe without it being absorbed by a sock.

“Many shoes available on the high street today may have leather uppers but are lined in synthetic material, which is not breathable. Then moisture, heat and bacteria will all be trapped inside the shoe.”

She also points out the trend can lead to issues like blisters and painful corns, calluses and – if wearing constricting pointy shoes – ingrown toenails.