At last. There is now medical and commercial evidence to suggest that Ugg boots are going out of fashion. The

Australian footwear that makes you look like you've got child-bearing ankles and which is – inexplicably – a

favourite with otherwise stylish celebrities, is officially a health risk.

The fashion trend that refused to die, despite having the death knell for it sounded as long ago as 2006, may

finally be seen off by reports by podiatrists and pharmacists that the sheepskin-lined, structureless bootees

cause sprained ankles and raging fungal infections. Hasan Ukra of Boots states that the "moist atmosphere"

that Uggs cultivate leads to athlete's foot, while podiatrist Linda Hawkins claims that wearing footwear

without any heel or sole support causes ankles to twist more easily.

Certainly, devotees of the Ugg have a trademark walk: a splayed-foot shuffle that, coupled with the almost

ubiquitous takeout coffee cup, bears quite a resemblance to a tramp looking for a handout. Even the glossy

posse of Sienna Miller and Cameron Diaz can't carry them off with any conviction.

The problem seems to be that sheepskin boots make wonderful slippers – the soft, fluffy interior obviating

the need for socks (that's certainly what endeared Australia's drovers and surfers to them decades before they

became trendy). And who hasn't dreamt of wearing their slippers all day? But what makes those who sneer at men

dressed in sweatpants think that flumpy, comfy bootees are OK to wear down Rodeo Drive or Bond Street? They're

just a shuffling step away from "the big slipper", a distinctly unfashionable item traditionally advertised in

the back of weekend supplements.