It would seem that despite their huge popularity, this summer the ever-present flip-flop shoes are under heavy attack. Researchers have already warned us that walking in flip-flops can cause us to strike our toes against... well, virtually anything in our path, and that the strain of keeping these wobbly shoes on our feet can cause overuse injuries, such as tendinitis and muscular pains. And now, doctors warn us that things could be a lot more serious than that and that flip-flops actually expose our feet to a deadlier disease: skin cancer.

Flip-flops and even the very fashionable gladiator sandals hurt our feet the same way - by exposing them directly to too much sunlight, and greatly increasing the risk of developing melanoma, the most severe form of skin cancer. The worst part is that we don't usually pay as much attention to our feet as we pay to, say, our faces, and we're more likely to miss a lesion on our feet or pay less attention to it than we should.

"With the increasing popularity of open-toed sandals and flipflops, feet often have a sudden blast of intense sunlight", one podiatric surgeon tells the Daily Mail. "Our feet are enclosed in shoes most of the year and then we pack our sandals for a holiday in very hot temperatures. This means feet are particularly susceptible to sunburn. People are generally aware of checking other parts of their body for suspicious moles but they're unlikely to examine their feet", he added.

As a result, it's extremely important to avoid exposing our feet to bright sunlight for prolonged periods of time. Also, we have to pay increased attention to any suspicious lesion or mole on our feet, and regularly apply factor 15 sunscreen or above to feet, including the soles. "The fact is that all types of skin cancer are on the rise. Women especially are susceptible because any lotion applied to the bridge of the foot gets rubbed off by sandals", warned a spokesman of the British Skin Foundation.