A token Google of the phrase “best shoes when pregnant” will advertise the following pieces: Birkenstock’s soft walking sandals, Crocs, and several sneakers that are not pleasant to look at and usually of the slip-on variety.
I’d imagine these items would help alleviate the various ailments—joint pressure, swollen ankles, a flattening of the foot’s arches—that stretch well into most people’s pregnancies.
Nowhere is it suggested that mesh heels might be a suitable companion to someone’s second or third trimester. Hailey Bieber suggests otherwise, considering she recently opted for a pair while strolling through Los Angeles in a fitted white top and low-slung jeans with a large Bottega Veneta Hop bag.
Of course, the model was never expected to follow the traditional what-to-expect-when-expecting guidelines when it comes to maternity clothes. This is, after all, the same person whose pregnancy wardrobe has ranged from Alessandra Rich lace jumpsuits, Blumarine butterfly tops, and Laquan Smith bodycons to draped Phoebe Philo dresses.
Margot Robbie, who recently announced that she was expecting her first child with husband Tom Ackerley, was also photographed in fishnet heels while dining in London earlier this week.
Consider this proof, perhaps, that being pregnant does not always require quite as many style concessions as Google would have a person believe. Robbie’s feet doubtless benefitted from a cool breeze…even if those shoes were likely swiftly removed beneath the dinner table once seated.
Our recommendation if you want to try the look? Stick with a low block or kitten heel, as Hailey Bieber does. Being fashionable doesn’t mean you have to give up all practicality.
This post was originally published in British Vogue.
