Foot Health During Pregnancy

Better to look good than to feel good? Pregnant women sacrifice foot health for fashion

By Haley Overland

Pregnant women just can’t win when it comes to foot fashion. Common sense tells us that high heels are even more damaging to our tender tootsies when we’re pregnant due to extra weight and hormonal changes that relax the joints. We all know high heels are bad for us and we wear them anyway. But did you know that even trendy flip flops are damaging because they don’t offer the foot support that women need more than ever during pregnancy? So, what are we to wear on our feet?

The UK’s go-to feet experts, The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists , are trying to raise awareness about this apparently very serious foot situation. In a recent study they conducted, which surveyed a thousand pregnant or recently pregnant women, over 50% of the women said they felt pressured to keep up with celebrity fashion trends – many wore high heels (32%), flip flops (66%), ballet pumps (53%) and Uggs (30%) while pregnant.

No wonder, as The Society reveals, 70% of pregnant women suffer from swollen ankles (37%), swollen feet (45%), arch and heel pain (16%).

Lorraine Jones, a podiatrist with The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists, suggests, “well-fitted, round-toed and low-heeled, comfortable shoes with straps to support the foot and ankle and to help minimize discomfort and prevent the prospect of long-term damage.”

Jones also points out in the society’s news release that pregnant celebrities are probably not wearing strappy high heels every day, but are often photographed at events where the odd heel won’t hurt them. Like them, she suggests, “try to keep your high-heeled, high-fashion shoes for a special occasion and stick to a more supportive shoe on a daily basis.”

Toronto chiropractor Stuart Siegel has seen firsthand the effects the wrong shoes can have on both a pregnant woman’s overall physiology – up to the knees and back – and on her energy level. High heels, for example, “impact a pregnant woman’s stride. Having poor mechanics and joint pain won’t motivate you to stay active during your pregnancy.” He suggests expectant moms spend most of their time in newer supportive running shoes because they have the proper arch support. He warns that, “without proper foot support during pregnancy and with the additional weight that’s distributed, women can develop joint issues that can persist after pregnancy.”

Are these warnings enough to motivate you to switch your strappy sandals for running shoes? Will you go the extra mile to find a suitable, yet stylish, maternity shoe? Or, is it, indeed, in the words of Fernando Lamas, “better to look good than to feel good…”?