Modern Cinderellas: Women Are Having Surgery to Make Designer Shoes Fit

In the original version of Cinderella, the evil stepsisters were so eager to fit into the glass slipper that they were willing to cut off parts of their feet. However, that story was a fairy tale … or was it?

A new story in the New York Times reports that several podiatrists are now offering surgical procedures that help their clients fit into the shoes of their dreams. Dr. Ali Sadrieh offers a range of services to his patients in Beverly Hills, including toe-lengthening, toe-shortening, and a procedure where he injects fat into the bottom of the foot so it hurts less to walk around in high heels.

And he isn't the only one. Dr. Oliver Zong of New York City claims to have invented "the foot face-lift and toe tuck." His website promises "designer feet for designer shoes."

Is Sarah Jessica Parker's iconic Carrie Bradshaw character to blame for women who worship high heels? One doctor quoted in the Times article cited Manolo Blahnik, Christian Louboutin, and Nicholas Kirkwood, three well-known shoe designers famed for their glam and sky-high heels. Women who want to wear these and other creations have headed to podiatrists in search of a shoe that looks good but won't hurt their feet.

One woman, Annette Healey, told the Times that she works in a profession where it's not an option to wear sneakers to work. After coping with foot and back pain she got elective bunion-removal surgery over her Christmas break. Now, several years later, she reports that she can walk miles at a time while wearing trendy shoes, although she acknowledges that Louboutins might never happen for her.

But what about women who love designer styles but aren't willing to shell out for elective foot surgery? More designers have been heeding the call to make chic shoes that don't rely on height. High heel king Jimmy Choo offers metallic pointy-toed flats for $625, while Christian Louboutin makes black spiked loafers that cost a cool $1,300.

Despite Sarah Jessica Parker's association with high heels, the actress admits that she has given up outrageous footwear. Last year, Parker told Net-a-porter's magazine The Edit that spending 18 hour days on her feet shooting "Sex and the City" in heels did permanent damage to her feet.

"I went to a foot doctor and he said, 'Your foot does things it shouldn't be able to do. That bone there … you've created that bone. It doesn't belong there.'" she revealed.

Even though they're becoming known for their unorthodox procedures, several of the podiatrists quoted in the Times agreed that more extreme surgeries are not for them. One woman asked if she could get her small toe removed to help her fit into shoes, and the doctor refused.

Now, Carrie Bradshaw herself is wearing sensible flats. But will trendsetters follow her lead?