They say the relationship women have with shoes goes beyond anything a man could ever understand – or so movies like Sarah Jessica Parker’s “SATC” and others in the same vein would have us believe. While this might be an exaggeration, there is some truth to the myth, as a new survey conducted in the UK shows that four out of ten women buy and wear ill-fitting shoes just because they’re in fashion, as the Daily Mail informs.

As a rule, they say women can’t resist a good bargain, which would explain why they seem to have such a hard time keeping their expenses in check during the sales season. The same goes for shoes, the second most sought-after item after clothes. What this actually means, as a new survey conducted by the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists shows, is that many women would endure pain and even risk deformities just to wear a fashionable piece, even at those times when the shoe is not a good fit.

Speaking specific numbers, four in ten women admit to owning and wearing shoes that don’t fit just because they were either on sale or were too fashionable not to have. What’s even worse, many of them understandably suffer discomfort and pain, but have never sought professional advice from a physician for whatever ailment they have. According to the Society, this is even worse than buying ill-fitting shoes in the first place, since it can lead to complications that might become notable only later on.

“Many of us find it hard to resist a bargain and the latest fashion must-have, but it’s important to remember that by buying ill-fitting shoes, you’re not only going to end up in discomfort, but you are also putting your health at risk. What is particularly worrying is that this is just the number of people who are aware that they are buying ill-fitting shoes; many people are wearing the wrong sized shoes on a daily basis without even realizing it. That’s not to say we shouldn’t wear fashionable shoes or high heels, but it does mean that we should give our feet a break and see an expert if there is something wrong.” Lorraine Jones of the Society explains for the Mail.

Just to show people that they should pay more attention to how they treat their feet, the Society also warns that 80 percent of all women suffer from some form of foot problem, like “cracked heels, bunions, corns and ingrowing nails,” the Mail further says. Ironically enough, it’s not just women who give in to the first buying urge when they see a pair of shoes they like, since men too admit to wearing ill-fitting shoes, save that their number is comparatively smaller (17 percent of men, as opposed to 37 percent of women).