London, January 2 (ANI): Women in the UK seem to be stepping out of their show sizes with the average going up from a five to a six in the last five years, experts have observed.

According to research carried out by Debenhams, sales of ladies’ size nine jumped by 23 per cent, while sales of size sixes leaped by 17 per cent in 2009.

“Big shoes, especially heeled styles, have to be made much stronger with sturdier load-bearing points, able to cope with greater levels of stress and wear,” the Telegraph quoted Ed Watson, from the department store chain, as saying.

“In the past, these shoe sizes would have only been available bespoke, but today’s women with larger feet want to wear the designer styles which we stock rather than frumpy specially made ones,” Watson added.

Michael Paynton, British Chiropody and Podiatry Association chairman, further told The Daily Mail: “I have been in practice 42 years and in that time standard foot sizes have changed dramatically. At one time it would have been difficult for a woman to get a size 6 shoe. Now that is the norm.

“It’s part of the process of evolution, as generally people are getting bigger and taller. We are seeing it clinically in both men and women as modern diets and lifestyle change.

“Once, a man’s shoe size of six or seven was common, but now sizes 9, 10, 11 and 12 are more commonplace.” (ANI)