With a high heel providing the heel is supported, even by standing on a wooden block the foot naturally 'spans' the gap naturally, with bones and tendons.

The foot has its own inbuilt strength and support so why duplicate this. You would not have a jumper with rigid arms between elbow and wrist.

So this raised the question, if the design of a shoe was an evolution of the early sandal and how can new materials and design techniques provide new solution?

So I set to exploring this question in a similar way to how I would design a bridge, examining the forces and looking at the most simple, elegant yet poetic expression of the forces at play within the materials used.

But when she wore a pair of super-tight skinny jeans to dinner with friends in December, she noticed an odd tingly sensation running up and down her thighs. And when she got up to walk around, things got weirder. She felt like she was almost "floating," because she couldn't feel her legs. "It felt really strange — it felt like my leg had gone to sleep," Ghoman says.

Ghoman's skin-tight denim may have caused a temporary bout of a nerve condition called meralgia paresthetica, also known as "tingling thigh syndrome." The condition can happen when constant pressure — in Ghoman's case, from the skin-tight denim — cuts off the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve, causing a numb, tingling or burning sensation along the thigh.

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But over the last several years, experts say they’ve been seeing more young women at a healthy weight complain of symptoms. The culprit: too-tight jeans. "The nerve, in some people, is susceptible to compression," says Dr. John England, a New Orleans neurologist and a member of the American Academy of Neurology. The femoral cutaneous nerve, he explains, runs from the outside of the pelvis and through the thigh. "It is a pure sensory nerve -- it doesn't go to muscles or provide strength. Anything that is tight around there could potentially compress the nerve that goes there.

The idea is the latest plan from police in Torbay, Devon, a resort which is popular for stag and hen nights. They have already launched schemes which has seen officers hand out condoms and sexual health advice and order drunken men who urinate in the street to mop up their own mess.

Now Inspector Adrian Leisk plans to hand out flip-flops with the 'Know Your Code' alcohol message printed on them. Insp Leisk said: "Sometimes people get drunk and you see them carrying footwear which is inappropriate. "The emphasis is on providing replacement footwear for people to get home in, should they find their high heels uncomfortable, inappropriate or soiled.'

He added: "We have consulted with people who work week-in, week-out on our night time patrol areas, including street pastors, the Safe Bus, and community wardens. "This is just one of a number of measures designed to keep people safe'. The footwear will be paid for by £30,000 worth of funding secured from the Home Office by Safer Communities Torbay.

A new footwear design concept that aims to make women safer and more comfortable behind the wheel, without compromising on their style, is launched today.

Sheilas' Wheels has developed the Sheila Driving Heel which gives women the best of both worlds - a safe, flat driving shoe and a glamorous pair of heels in one - all interchangeable at a push of a button. More than 11.5 million* women drivers in the UK are putting themselves and other drivers at risk by wearing the wrong footwear when behind the wheel, according to new research from Sheilas' Wheels - the car insurer for women.

One in ten (10%) female motorists admit that they have had a car accident or a near-miss because of their shoes slipping off or getting stuck between, or under, the foot pedals whilst driving.

The Safe Shoes report shows that a massive 80% of female drivers wear inappropriate footwear when in control of a car - choosing style over safety. A third (33%) of all female drivers confess to wearing flip-flops, while 18% claim that they have worn no shoes at all when driving, which experts say can be extremely hazardous and is currently illegal in some parts of the UK**.

In fact, just under half (47%) of women drivers said they chose what shoes to wear when getting ready in the morning based on what went best with their outfit rather than being the safest for driving in.

Under a fifth (17%) of female drivers keep a spare pair of driving shoes in the car to change into, while nearly a quarter (23%) admit they can't be bothered to change their shoes when behind the wheel even if they know they are not the safest for driving.

Jacky Brown, spokesperson for Sheilas' Wheels, said: "It's astonishing that so many women are putting themselves, their passengers and other drivers at risk by wearing the wrong shoe or no shoe at all whilst behind the wheel. Stilettos, sling-backs and strappy sandals aren't the sensible choice when it comes to controlling a car."

"Our Sheila Driving Heel design could provide safety-conscious female motorists with the ultimate driving shoe - allowing women to wear a safe flat shoe whilst driving, and a fashionable heel once they are out of the car."

The report highlighted that 63% of women called for better guidelines to advise them on the correct form of footwear to wear when driving. A lack of understanding is clearly evident as over half (54%) of female motorists believed that sports trainers were the safest shoes to drive in - even though their thick soles and chunky design limit both movement between, and contact with, the pedals.

Dianne Ferreira, spokesperson for Brake the national road safety charity, added: "An alarming number of female drivers simply do not realise the danger they are putting themselves, and others, in by driving in inappropriate shoes. High heels, platforms and flip-flops can seriously hamper your ability to drive safely, and could have fatal consequences. It only takes a few seconds to change your shoes before each journey to help ensure you arrive safely."