Maternity Shoes to Carry You Through Pregnancy

Now that you’re expecting, you’ve started to expect more from your footwear—as you should. Your shoes aren’t just carrying you, they’re carrying baby too! No wonder you’ve lost all patience for pinchy toes, blister-provoking heels and hard, flat soles. Your swollen feet deserve more, which is why we’re calling out our favorite pregnancy shoes that provide support and comfort, and look good doing it.

When shopping for good shoes for pregnancy, there are a few considerations to keep in mind. The weight of a whole other person inside you puts extra stress on your entire body, including your feet. This causes swelling that can make your trotters and your legs feel heavy and achy. The best pregnancy shoes are flexible to accommodate fluctuation in swelling and structured to take some of the pressure off.

Swelling isn’t the only thing to consider when shopping for maternity shoes though. Pregnancy hormones prompt your ligaments to loosen, which can cause fallen arches (aka flat feet). With that in mind, the best shoes for pregnancy also offer arch support.

Even if you already own stretchy, supportive footwear, you might need new maternity shoes anyway. That’s because your feet may grow a half or whole shoe size! You’ll also want to temporarily retire your heels, no matter how well you’ve mastered strutting in them. The farther along you get, the more your balance is compromised, so skip the stilettos to avoid taking a tumble.