'High heels take 34 minutes before they start pinching'

The British survey of 4,000 women aged 18 to 65 found that once they have stepped out of the taxi and into a pub or club, they survive just over half an hour before their feet start to hurt.

Four in 10 women said they take a spare pair of pumps "out of habit" to change into because they know their shoes will rub, found the survey carried out by shoe insert firm Insolia.

And more than half have ended up walking home bare-foot, while one in ten have abandoned their shoes altogether or borrowed someone else's, the Telegraph reported.

According to the survey, a determined one fifth said the prospect of aching feet would not put them off wearing a pair of killer heels.

Erika Gibbins, a podiatrist at Insolia, said: "So many women will be able to relate to these findings, as they've been victims of painful shoes, but persevere with them in the name of fashion.

"It's ridiculous that so many nights out are spoilt so quickly by painful shoes and it doesn't have to be this way.

"The fact the nation's women are resorting to taking a second pair of shoes, and walking home barefoot means they need to do something so they can get to enjoy nights out and not worry about their feet."

According to the survey, the average woman has suffered from foot pain on at least six occasions in the last 12 months.

One in ten have been carried home, while a third have deliberately chosen bars with stools to keep the weight off their feet.

Yet half said they own a pair of killer heels which hurt to wear but put up with the pain because they look great, and three in ten have worn an uncomfortable pair to prove a point to their partner.

The nationwide poll also revealed that the average woman in the UK currently owns 18 pairs, typically spent 35 pounds on each purchase and has a hoard totalling up to 630 pounds.