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Posts Tagged ‘Women’s Shoes’

Pregnant women are damaging their feet by tottering around in high heels according to The Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.The society polled 1,000 pregnant women and found that many regularly wore ballet pumps, flip flops, high heels and Ugg boots.But Lorraine Jones from the society reckons none of these women’s shoes are suitable for expectant mums because they don’t offer enough support.

And according to the survey half of the women polled feel under pressure to follow the latest celebrity trends yet seven out of 10 women admitted to suffering from foot problems including swollen ankles (37 per cent), swollen feet (45 per cent) and arch and heel pain (16 per cent) while pregnant.

Instead the society are urging women to wear supportive, wide fitting shoes to minimise discomfort and avoid long-term damage. Podiatrist Lorraine Jones said: “Weight gain and hormonal changes in pregnancy have a huge impact on the body.
“Muscles and ligaments soften and stretch because of an increase in the ovarian hormone relaxin, which makes your feet more prone to ankle and ligament strains on a daily basis.

“High heels alter your posture, shorten your calf muscles and place increased pressure on your back and knees.”In pregnancy this places extra pressure on your joints when they are already under strain – which can result in a host of foot, leg and back problems and could increase the likelihood of falls.”

However, it’s not all bad news for pregnant women they can still look fashionable and wear comfortable ladies shoes ”There are so many different shoes available today that you can still wear fashionable footwear which is supportive and comfortable,” said Ms Jones.

And there is one trend that can easily be embraced the low- heel or petit Stiletto as Vogue has dubbed them. Ms Jones says that as a rule, she says women should opt for 1.2in (3cm) heels as they shift weight a little further forward on to the feet, which can help alleviate discomfort. So a pair of low heels, as long as they are supportive, could be just the thing for pregnant legs.