You may answer, “You can never have too many pairs of shoes”, or you may think several pairs of shoes are a needless expense, but experts are warning that owning several pairs of shoes to wear on a daily basis are vital to your foot health.

In fact, those who wear the same shoes day in and day out could be at risk of developing athlete's foot or other fungal infections. Why? Because your feet will be producing, on average, an eggcup of sweat a day, which is consequently absorbed into your shoes and cannot be dried out before you wear them the next day.

Chris Walker, consultant orthopaedic foot and ankle surgeon at Liverpool's Bone and Joint Centre commented: “Damp skin is more prone to infection because fungi grow most easily in warm, wet conditions.”

With Mike O'Neill from the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists adding; “It takes 12 to 18 hours for shoes to dry out after you've worn them, so you should alternate your shoes each day.

“Most women have a few pairs of shoes but men wear the same ones straight for six months...It's the equivalent to wearing the same underpants every day for six months and puts you at risk of fungal infections and smelly feet.”

What a fantastic excuse to go out and buy at least one more pair of shoes!