Toenail clippers have sold out across NSW as men begin their yearly trim for the summer thong season. The shortage has seen the price of clippers rise to a record high of $3.95 in some Sydney supermarkets, forcing thousands of men to wear closed-toe shoes until the price stabilises.

Dedicated thong wearers are biting the bullet, however, with one Botany local saying he’d even invested in a set of double-strength clippers ahead of this year’s trim.

“I usually don’t stop cutting until I see blood, so I’m surprised how long they’ve gotten in just a year,” he said. “I could cut a sandwich with this one!”

Redfern electrician Peter Smith told the Sydney Sentinel skipping a year had proven costly for him.

“I took a year off as I didn’t want to come across as some fruity hipster,” he said. “But I won’t do that again as I just ended up tunnelling through all my socks.”