Tips On Buying The Perfect Pair Of Pregnancy shoes

There are 3 things I believe you need to consider when deciding on a good shoe to wear during your pregnancy.

1. Easy to put on

Your feet slowly disappear and reaching over your growing belly to put on shoes will become almost impossible.

Choose a shoe that you can easily put on without the need to bend down. Slip on shoes without laces are particularly suited for pregnant women. I had a lovely pair of gladiator sandals with buckles at the sides. Even sitting down and trying to swing my leg round to fasten the buckle was impossible

2. Supportive

From getting tendinitis with  one pregnancy and bad knees with the other I strongly recommend footwear with good support. With added baby weight, the joints are going to be under more stress than usual, especially in the later stages of pregnancy

By choosing a shoe with ankle and arch supports you can reduce joint pains associated with walking if not eliminate them all together.

3. A little extra room.

Be prepared for a little/ or a lot of swelling especially in the summer. You are going to want a little bit of extra room to compensate for the swelling. Try not to make the purchase too early in the pregnancy. My second pregnancy gave me more swelling across the top of my foot and at the top of my sock line. When i took my trainers off at the end of the day, I would have a bulbous ankle.

 Sorry to say swelling WILL occur to some extent

Jumping up half a size (or even a FULL size) larger than what you currently wear will allow you to remain comfortable when the swelling suddenly strikes. Until the swelling comes you can always wear an extra pair of socks to fill in the extra room.

An added bonus to comfortable shoes is that they will allow you to remain standing for longer periods of time before your feet begin to fatigue.

Wearing The Correct Footwear

If your are exercising or have got to a point in your pregnancy where comfortable footwear is essential. I advise wearing a good pair of comfortable trainers.

In my first pregnancy it was summer and I ended up wearing ballet pumps, which led to me getting tendinitis in one of my feet. They offered me no stability and support to my feet as my bump got bigger.

In my second pregnancy I opted for a nice fashionable pair of Nike free runners. A style you could where with fashion clothing in the daytime. I loved these so much I ended up wearing in the gym for my workouts too. Unfortunately these didn't offer me the correct support while training, which has now caused ongoing discomfort in my knees.

I would advice getting your gate done, this is when a specialist looks at you running and walking. The specialist analyses your ankle stability and arch positioning and can advice the perfect type trainer for you. Don't opt for fashion when it comes to using trainers for exercise. You can get your gate analysis done at various running and sports stores and there is no obligation to buy.

I went to RUN 4 IT IN Glasgow

The conclusion is that I am neutral on my right foot but cave in on my left foot, so my arches are not supporting my feet hence the added pressure on my knees. My current Nikes offer my no support at all. I have been told I need a stability 3 shoe if I am purchasing running shoes. I was offered two style of trainers to try on Brookes Ravenna £114 and Asics 1000-4 £99. I tried both on and tested them out on the treadmill, obviously the more expensive pair were more comfortable!
Being on maternity doesn't give me a disposable income to buy a pair of trainers at £100,
IF YOU WANT TO SAVE MONEY I ADVISE ASKING IF THEY HAVE LAST SEASON COLOUR, AS THEY ARE USUALLY HALF PRICE.

I choose the Brookes Ravenna I managed to get them for £60. They felt amazing on and very light and springy. I cannot wait to get out on a run in them.