The flip flop of a pair of thongs is the sound of an Australian summer but experts are
warning the shoes can leave feet exposed to the sun's harmful rays.

Leading corporate skin cancer awareness campaigner Suncorp wants Queenslanders to pay their tootsies some extra attention as they put their feet up and laze around the barbeque on Australia Day.

Executive General Manager, Suncorp Banking, Tim Buckett, said the feet are a part of the body often forgotten when it comes to sun protection.

"A pair of thongs may keep you cool on a hot January day but specialists say exposing feet to the sun's harmful rays without the protection of sunscreen can result in serious skin damage," Mr Buckett said.

"The tops and soles of the feet are parts of the body easily overlooked. Most people are diligent about checking their body for suspicious moles and marks but they often forget to check their feet," he said.

"Whether you choose to wear fashionable thongs studded with diamantes or the more traditional double-pluggers on Australia Day it's important to observe the Suncorp SunWise tips, Avoid, Protect and Check.*"

A team of Suncorp sunscreen sprayers will pound the pavement at South Bank in Brisbane on Monday giving away hats and sunscreen and spreading the sun safe message.

Dermatologist Dr Catherine Faulkner said skin cancers under the feet are often diagnosed late which make them harder to treat.

"The sooner a cancer is diagnosed the greater the likelihood of a cure, but it's easy to dismiss a mark on your feet as a bruise or a sore without recognising it as a warning sign and realising its dangerous potential," Dr Faulkner said.

"It's important people check not only the tops of their feet but also the soles and
underneath the nails," she said.

"Often sunscreens are washed off the top of the feet when people walk through
water, so we do see quite a lot of skin cancers on top of the feet.

"But the real danger is under the feet because it's not a place you look. It's also where you get this dangerous and more aggressive melanoma which is often diagnosed late."

Top Five Body Parts Often Forgotten When Applying Sunscreen:
- The lower lip
- The scalp
- The tops of ears
- The area between the nose and the eye, and
- The feet

Suncorp has been a major sponsor of the skin cancer research laboratories at Queensland Institute of Medical Research (QIMR) since 2004 and has raised more than $1 million for vital skin cancer research.

For more information on the Suncorp SunWise campaign visit www.suncorp.com.au/sunwise

Media contact: Shari Armistead, Sequel Communications ph: 0434 313 066