Angelina Jolie proves that pregnancy can be hell on feet

Angelina Jolie's shoe problems strike a painful chord with Judith Woods

There's something tremendously cheering about discovering that at least one Hollywood glamourpuss has feet of, if not clay, then flesh and bone like the rest of us.

News that Angelina Jolie, pregnant with twins, had her Louboutin heels specially reduced for her recent red carpet appearance at Cannes was a fillip to expectant mothers, myself included, struggling to keep up with the current vogue for both very high and ultra-low footwear.

Jolie, we learn, has also been discreetly wearing Nike insoles in her shoes to stop her arches crumpling beneath the extra weight she's carrying - so it looks as though she's been sensible enough to take professional advice on how to avoid major problems with her feet.

But as a summer of flat gladiator sandals and vertiginous platform wedges looms (or a combination of the two, in Gwyneth Paltrow's case), it seems that we pregnant women must prepare to sit out this particular fashion moment - or risk the consequences.

"Contrary to what many people think, flat shoes are not the best thing to wear during pregnancy," says Michael O'Neill, podiatric surgeon and spokesman for the Society of Chiropodists and Podiatrists.

"In pregnancy, the legs and feet swell and the ligaments become looser, so you need proper support in a shoe that grips your foot. Because women put on weight, that also causes the feet to spread, so you may need to buy a more comfortable pair of shoes."

At last, a legitimate reason to tell our husbands we really do have to go shoe shopping. But wait - this won't be a glamorous Sex and the City-style sortie down New Bond Street.

According to O'Neill, mothers-to-be can wear what we like in the first three months, but come the second and third trimesters it's time for major sartorial sacrifices.

"As far as flat shoes go, Birkenstocks are preferable to gladiator sandals, as they have a moulded foot-bed that at least offers some support. Even Crocs are better, as they have a strap at the back."

Crocs? But they are so three years ago! I am becoming grimly resigned to antenatal frumpdom.

The average woman puts on two stone during her pregnancy. As I have put on almost 2½ stone in the first three months, thanks to a mania for baked goods, my shins and ankles are already under stress.

To make matters worse, I have size three feet, which, though dainty in a pair of Marc Jacobs heels, are ill-equipped to support my increased bulk. During my last pregnancy (when I piled on a mere 3½ stone), I made the cardinal error of wearing flip-flops.

As a result, my feet rolled about like drunken sailors and my arches collapsed unceremoniously. I developed metatarsalgia, a condition so painful it reduced me to tears every morning.

The pain was caused by soft tissue and inflammation in the bones in my feet. At night, my body attempted to repair the damage and by morning the tissues were surrounded by protective swelling, hence the awful pain when I stood.

Like Jolie, I eventually took to wearing moulded insoles in proper shoes. But by then it was too late for over-the-counter remedies, so I had to have bespoke insoles made by a podiatrist at a cost of almost £200.

And if that doesn't have all pregnant readers flinching at the mere sight of a thonged sandal, then here's the clincher: it took two years before my feet fully recovered.

But if flatties are out of the question, what about heels and wedges? Can't we simply have our Louboutins (or the nearest high street equivalent) sawn off?

"Pregnant women look stupid in heels," was the uncompromising response from O'Neill.

"Because their centre of gravity changes, they lean back to maintain their balance, with increased curvature of the spine. In heels, where the pressure is on the ball of the foot, they have to lean back even farther. Altering a heel changes the whole mechanics of a shoe, so Angelina Jolie would be much better off having a pair specially made."

Sadly this isn't an option for most of us. Besides, a 1½in (the best heel height for a mother-to-be) Louboutin doesn't quite have the same allure. So what, exactly, should we be wearing?

"A pair of trainers is ideal," says O'Neill. "But they must be a good pair of running shoes, made from a breathable fabric, because many women find their feet smell in pregnancy, due to increased sweat and an alteration in the chemical balance of the sweat.

"I recommend rubbing surgical spirit on to the feet after a bath to dry them out and reduce the odour."

Wonderful news, then. While my friends traipse about like sexy extras from Troy in their metallic strappy numbers, I'll be the one in smelly trainers. But at least if I keep piling on the pounds, I won't be able to see my feet for my bump.

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tbHLnp6rmaCde6S7ja6iaK%2BforKve9aopJ6mo2K1pq3LrZ9oa2NqgXqDlGh4p5%2BVobavrYyDpqWhlWK9s7vVnqpmrJiWwW680Z6ep5memMZur8CnZJudXZ2yrbiMqKVmnpWawW%2B006aj