SUPERHUMAN DUCHESS MARCHES ON... IN FOUR-INCH STILETTOS – BUT IS IT WISE?
Despite the imminent arrival of the new seventh in line to the throne, the Duchess of Sussex shows no signs of taking her foot off the gas and easing into maternity leave. She has attended an impressive five public functions in the last week and, while most eyes remain trained on Meghan’s growing bump, I can’t help but look elsewhere – at her feet. Time and again, her elegant calves taper to slim feet (no sign of pesky swollen ankles here) shod in heels.
Meghan’s schedule demands a certain dress code and it’s not surprising that as a royal, she doesn’t feel she can switch to flats for the foreseeable future, in spite of her pregnancy. After all, the Duchess of Cambridge has always been an avid maternity heel wearer. But the Duchess of Sussex’s footwear style of choice, pre-pregnancy, was a stiletto – as she approached the third trimester I expected at least a waning in her commitment to heels.
Particularly in the later stages of pregnancy, a cocktail of delightful symptoms intervene to make heelwearing (particularly stilettos) a no-go for many women. Water retention (due to all that extra blood) can make the practicalities of fitting into pre-pregnancy shoes both tricky and uncomfy
– see Kim Kardashian. Pregnancy hormones increase relaxin, vital for loosening joints and muscles for labour: great for yoga, bad for walking in heels. And the “dropping” of the baby as you head towards D-day puts extra pressure on your pelvis and hips, making comfy shoes vital if you have to be on your feet.
In practical terms, the extra weight of the bump often triggers back ache, which is highly likely to be exacerbated by four-inch heels. And an altered centre of gravity, combined with the pregnant propensity for clumsiness (and an inability to see your feet) increases your risk of tripping: these days, perhaps the reason Meghan is apt to appear arm in arm with Prince Harry is down to stability rather than purely affection. None of this has seemed to put off the Duchess. Rather than following her sister-in-law’s lead and opting for a neat kitten, sturdy wedge or practical block in concession to her altering silhouette, Meghan’s trusty four-inch Manolo Blahnik BB stiletto pumps remained as ubiquitous as they were pre-pregnancy. Doctors don’t seem to specifically say it is dangerous – something Meghan appears to have taken to heart.
Far from merely revisiting pairs from her existing wardrobe, the Duchess’s collection has been growing. Monday’s top-totoe Victoria Beckham look was completed by four-and-a-half inch, forest green satin pumps, reportedly a bespoke creation for the occasion, while eagle-eyed royal wardrobe watchers have also noted new pairs by Gianvito Rossi and Christian Dior, each with heels slim as a pin and topping four inches.
Meghan is not the only celebrity to be spotted in heels in the later stages of pregnancy: Angelina Jolie notched up red-carpet appearances with bumps while Victoria Beckham wore 6in Louboutins to the wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge in 2011.
But the regularity with which Meghan is slipping into towering styles is enough to make even the most diehard shoe lover’s arches ache. It isn’t, perhaps, surprising that she isn’t willing to compromise on style – far from winding down her wardrobe, she seems to be upping the ante during pregnancy.
As someone who happily switched to flats after my 20-week scan (I still don’t feel brave enough to return to proper heels, nine months postpartum), I can’t help but admire her commitment. In the third trimester, each week brings a rounder bump, wobblier balance and a stiffer pelvis, and yet Meghan and her four-inch stilettos march on, delivering impeccable, superhuman pregnancy style. I applaud her.