The paper discusses lameness as a symptom and its use in genetic evaluation for Holstein cattle foot and claw diseases. Lameness is not a disease but a disease symptom and should not be mistaken for a disease or a claw disorder. However, lameness is caused in 90% of all cases by foot and claw disorders. Not all foot disease causes lameness to the same extent and at the same stage of the disease. A strong genetic correlation was found between lameness and necrobacilosis, and significantly low genetic correlations between lameness and ulcers or between lameness and dermatitis. Based on low phenotypic correlations but mainly on low genetic correlations, lameness is a different trait than foot and claw diseases. Therefore it should be evaluated separately and not in combination with foot and claw disease.