I’m due on January 31st, which in my Southern Maine climate means that winter will certainly have made itself known already. Being an otherwise fiscally sensible person, I’m saving a fortune bargain and consignment shopping for maternity clothes that I know (or at least hope) I’ll be out of before the end of winter, but I am absolutely willing to spend some real money on some good shoes.
My question for current and future mamas out there: what are the best possible shoes I can buy for safe, comfortable winter wear during and after my pregnancy? I’d love to find something that can be worn all day. I’m not necessarily looking for specific shoes or boots, just styles and shapes that mamas before me have found to be friendly for potentially size-shifting feet in less-than-perfect weather. — Goldfish Fox.
A few ideas from our readers:
Faux Uggs
Cheaper than the real thing, AND vegan-friendly!
Dansko clogs
Nurses and chefs can’t be wrong — these guys are comfy!
Vans
Skate-shoe cool, and pregnant-mama-friendly!
Earth Shoes
Spendy, but worth it!
Merrell boots
These can handle serious winter weather, while also being comfy… and even cute!?
Haflinger clogs
As a reader says, “My most comfortable pair of shoes for winter time are hands down my Haflinger boiled wool clogs. I have high arches and I prefer firm support; these have cork footbeds, much like Birkenstocks.”
Crocs mammoth
So wide, so fuzzy, so comfortable. Maybe ugly, but SO COMFORTABLE.
Elasticated Sides boots/jodhpurs. They come in loads of styles, easy to slip on (good when your bump gets in the way), and are relatively cheap.
http://www.johnlewis.com/256570/Product.aspx?sku=231244142&source=63258
At the risk of sounding erm… anti thrift… because they are quite expensive… I have never found any boots/shoes quite so comfortable as those in the UGGs line. Yes, I know some of them are UGGly… I prefer the Cardys… they have wool knit tops, and are lined with fur. They are loose, to make room for widening pregnancy feet. I know that there are plenty of knock-offs out there, which may suit you. I have had the original UGGs, and I can’t get used to any other brand. However, KMart does have a cute knock off, as does Old Navy, and PayLess. But, you get the quality you pay for. UGG Cardys may run you $140 (I pay less than that because we have an UGG outlet about 90 minutes from my house), but they last a REALLY long time… I have had my first pair since 2007, and the only reason I had to buy another pair is because the first pair was blue and didn’t match everything. You can take them to the dry cleaners to be cleaned (maybe once every other year), and if the soles get yucky (as sometimes fur soles do), UGGs sells replacements… so you take the old ones out and put a new insert in. Voila… like brand new shoes!!
Unfortunately UGG and UGG knockoff as in a bit of trouble right now for skinning live raccoon dogs. It’d be much more worthy to invest in some good vegan UGG-style boots or moccasins.
Actually, the Old Navy knockoffs are all faux fur and not real wool. It says on the tag in the store that no animals were harmed in the making of the boots.
I succumbed to the ugg boot style the other day.. I dislike them with a vengeance, but I can’t bend over anymore, my old adidas (the overstretched ones that I just slipped on) soles just ripped.
For cheaper alternatives, check out american eagle.. I got the short ones for $24 on clearance.
My babe was born 1/25/11 and I lived in my dansko clogs last winter.
I also did this, but it was probably not the best idea. My already-poor balance plus pregnancy balance (or lack there of), combined with the rocky nature of the Danskos, caused me to fall, which kicked labor into gear. (Sounds crazy, but it happened. It wasn’t even icy at the time.) I was at 40 weeks, so it was no big deal, but I’d caution against Danskos if your balance is already poor.
I wish I could wear my Danskos! My feet are so swollen (I’m also due in late January) they won’t fit now. I’m not counting on them for the winter. Thanks for posting, because I’m curious to see the results myself. I’m kicking myself for buying some nice (tie up) Timberlands last year, that I probably won’t be ableto tie this year.
I was pregnant during winter in Wisconsin and I lived in Vans sneakers (not the slip-ons). They are thick enough to keep the snow and cold out but have great arch support and are nice and wide for the ever growing pregnant feet.
They were a lifesaver. Kind of expensive, around $50/pair, but my previous pair lasted me about 8 years.
There’s a vans boot (slip-on style) that I really enjoyed while pregnant! They kept my feet warm, and were pretty comfy.
I wore another pare of ankle boots, that had a lot of sole support, which helped because I had to walk to school (in the rain! oye vay!)
like this kind:
http://www.amazon.com/Vans-VL3MCD2-Baxter-Skate-Shoes/dp/B004P3GT58/ref=sr_1_18?s=shoes&ie=UTF8&qid=1317862655&sr=1-18
Definitely look for items with softer rubber soles (vs hard plastic). They not only provide more traction in wet/slippery conditions they also provide a lot more comfort.
Sketchers used to be better but seem to have gotten narrow and thin-soled (not comfy and allows cold to seep through). Check out Keens as they have a wider toe box for spreading feet, and are walkingr traveling and walking. They carry shoes and boots!
Indigo shoes and even Clarks (I know, I know, but check out their new stuff!)?
earth shoes (spendy, but worth it) are great in general for long times on your feet, especially during pregnancy when your posture changes and low back pain becomes your new best worst friend. i have sandals, but am looking to get a pair of their hoes as well — they have LOTS of room in the toe-box for swelling and size-changing!
I had a slouchy pair of long boots last winter (we had a very snowy & icy effort in the uk). They did have hard plastic soles (I was cheap!) rather than more practical rubber treads, but I scratched the soles for more traction and demanded the arm if my husband to lean on if any surface appeared challenging! Survived to deliver on Jan 10th, despite the slippery soles!
I second the UGGs. I lived in mine last winter through pregnancy and after when they were easy to slip on when I couldn’t bend down, or was holding a baby or carseat carrier. Kept my feet warm in Canadian winter and were comfy on my sore feet at 9mo prego. My feet shifted sizes A LOT between 6 mo pregnant and 4 months postpartum, so they were actually not a bad spend considering I may have ended up buying several other pairs of shoes as my size change was so drastic. And, they are still in perfect shape for this year!
My son was born on January 8th…I lived in tall chestnut Ugg-style boots from Costco. They are not stylish, but they were comfy, warm and fit until the end. My feet would swell whenever I wore any other shoe. I got SO sick of wearing the same shoe every day that I haven’t worn them since my son was born but they definitly served their purpose.
Because of water retention issues, I ended up buying a pair of diabetic-friendly shoes from Zappos. They looked just like velcro-fasten sneakers but were super comfy and gave me much-needed arch support, too.
I had my son in the first week of March in New England. Boots were HELL to put on – I honestly had to have help! Danskos were my go-to since I could slip ’em on as easily as if they were flip flops.
Another vote for slide-on clog style shoes. Wrap boots might be good for fitting whatever size your legs swell to, but they would probably be nearly impossible to get on near the end!
My nannan has a really bad spinal issue which means she struggles to bend and she has puffy feet. My advice from her would be to find any trainer type velcro shoe for expansion room and if its horrifically bad weather, some cramp-on style attachments, like weather chains for shoes.
Or get some wellies a size bigger than needed and wear multiple socks so should your feet swell, you can remove a pair of socks. Although this would require help from a willing volunteer
I had my daughter in late April and there was still snow on the ground when I left my house for the hospital, yay for living in the foothills of the Rockies…
I lived in my Sorells, they are really easy to step into as boots go – I had the kind that stood up on their own with out being stiff and don’t need lacing up. These are a great value too, I bought them 5 years before I had my daughter and still have now (and the kiddo is now 4) When I got to where I was going I could change into a pair of ballet flats I kept in my purse. I also kept flip flops at all the places I frequented at the time because my feet were always hot, even in the middle of a Colorado winter.
Check these out! They look super comfy and cute.
http://www.landsend.com/?cm_mmc=83600336&OVMTC=Broad&site=&creative=4342138538&OVKEY=wellie%20boot&url_id=83600336
I personally wore wool lined wellies all last winter.
I just bought a pair of shoes made by Ahnu, and they saved my life. I had been wearing gym shoes to work because everything else hurt like hell, but I had to look for more casual work shoes. The soles are pretty decent–haven’t tried them in snow/ice yet, but they look promising. (Ahnu apparently makes hiking boots, so that’s a plus.)
http://www.ahnu.com/womens-benicia-II-travel-shoes/AF2321,default,pd.html?dwvar_AF2321_color=MHRM&start=13&cgid=women-casual
I also bought a pair of Bearpaw boots, which are similar to Uggs but not as annoying to me. 🙂 They’ve been great so far!
http://www.bearpawshoes.com/
I would recommend Merrell boots. I have a pair and they’re very comfortable, and have successfully survived one season of university student levels of walking in a Canadian winter, and are still in very good shape. They are a bit on the pricey side, but trust me, it’s worth it.
Yeah, my Merrells are entering their 4th Ottawa winter this year, I love them! They have lots of slip-on styles; I used to work in a shoe store and pregnant ladies loved them.
Thanks for posting this! We’re due the same day and the winter was horrible last yr in the midwest! I’m assuming the same for this year!
I delivered in Feb last year and lived in Birkenstocks all winter. Slip on and they easily accommodate swollen feet or thick socks. I live in Seattle and only had rain to deal with, not snow though.
Sketchers got me through two pregnancies where my shoes had to look professional and be comfortable enough to stay on my feet for hours at a time inside and outside.
I didn’t wear these while pregnant, but my most comfortable pair of shoes for winter time are hands down my Haflinger boiled wool clogs. I have high arches and I prefer firm support; these have cork footbeds, much like Birkenstocks.
I second the sketchers. I bought a pair of the tone-ups for this pregnancy and I love them. I had the shape-ups before, but the tone-ups aren’t nearly so heavy and they fit my feet better. And I’ll happily wear them after the baby is born too, a definite plus!
I wore LL Bean winter boots in the “sneaker” style all winter last year. I was able to tie them loose enough towards the end that I could just slip in and out of them. They were comfortable all day and I felt safe walking on the ice and snow.
I wonder how Crocs boots are. Their original line is wide as f**k.
I have the widest feet of any woman I know (runs in my fathers family. such a curse to a girl who loves shoes) And many of the more feminine crocs styles do fit me better than most other shoes. I HATE the original ones. Everyone ignores me or even makes snarky remarks when I suggest crocs to pregnant women (because the first line were so unfashionable), but they have a lot of much nicer styles now and they are SO comfortable.
I am due Dec 27th with my 2nd and my daughter was born on Jan 7th 08, I LOVED my Bearclaw boots, a little cheaper then UGGs and just as awesome! With my daughter I wore knock off Crocs for work, as ugly as they are. I got them at walmart and still have them 4 years later! Not the most stylist shoes but def a good buy! Good Luck