Comfortable Shoes for Pregnancy-

I second the Dansko clogs - plus, they last forever. I've had my pair for 4 years and they're still amazingly comfortable. I also have some birkenstock closed-toe suede shoes (can't remember the model, but they're cute and they were reasonably priced from www.sierratradingpost.com) that I wear all the time.

If you have 'The Walking Store' at your local mall, go there. I bought a pair of Merrill's (sp?) and Birkenstock clogs and lived in them for the last 5 months of the pregnancy (when I wasn't wearing gymshoes).

**Ack, I just read the 'semi-dressy' part! The Walking Store also has those too.

I work in a business casual environment and I just LOVE my Clark's slides. Maybe a slide isn't the best for winter, but they do make some other kinds of shoes too. Very supportive, rounded toes, nothing to hurt your feet.

I lived in my CROCS they are sooooooo comfortable. In fact we are now a Crocs family, my husband has some and my daughter. There are so many different styles now I am sure you can get away with a pair at work. Otherwise have your doctor write a note, and then they have to live with whatever you find to be the most comfortable.

Born shoes are sooooo comfy. I lucked out and had the worst of my pregnancy in the summer, so I just wore flip flops :)
http://www.bornshoes.com/

Its so funny that two moms said dansko because I have 4 different pairs of them and they KILL my feet when I'm pregnant. I never ever wear them anymore when I'm pregnant. I get blisters and they are way too fitted. When not pregnant, they are great and supportive. I live in them. They are expensive though so I wouldn't splurge unless you have it. (I bought them a long time ago when my finances were much better!) They do last eternally.

I recently read that crocs won an award for the healthiest most comfortable shoes to wear in pregnancy. They also won an award for the most worn shoe vote by women in pregnancy. I read this in a mothering magazine but I don't remember which one. Hence, my desire to wear crocs all the time during this pregnancy. They have been SO comfortable because they are not fitted, good ventilation and they slide on and off. If you can wear the nicer buckle ones maybe you could do that for your job. Also, I bought a cheap pair of slip on shoes that are dressy at payless since I did not want to buy a pair which I knew I would not wear once I wasn't pregnant. They are a size bigger so they allowed for my foot to swell a bit and still be comfortable. I would consider that option for work as well. Good luck - I know it can be annoying - but its worth it!

I lived in my Dansko clogs (good arch support) for work and my Crocs at home. Neither required me to bend down and tie them which was key towards the end.

Merrell and Dansko really are great foot support. I just finally replaced my "most comfortable walking shoes ever" from Merrell and I had them for like 8 years.

I recently bought some new Danskos after staying away for a while (the clog style just wasn't working for me anymore) and these have a less clunky and more flexible sole, lots of arch support. They're really comfortable, and look nicer on than they do in the picture: http://www.zappos.com/n/p/dp/23804214/c/82.html

Merrell's are quite a bit cheaper, though, and I think their shoes are wonderful. It's hard to find decent-looking styles for work in most stores, although on their website they have some that look like they might work.

Talk to your doctor. If your OB/GYN says that you have to wear a certain kind of shoe, your boss has to let you. You may want to consider speaking with your boss first. Explain that you are in pain and ask if it would be possible for you to wear a less dressy shoe for the duration of your pregnancy. I love my crocs! I didn't get them till after I was pregnant though. I had a ton of swelling and I was only able to wear sneakers. There are several knock off brands of Crocs too. I would recommed staying with a well known brand. I think Nike and Adidas make their own version of Crocs. I know they're less expensive. Stay away from the cheaper ones from Meijer. Also, when you're looking at shoes, make sure that the shoe is not too fitted. You'll want room for your feet to expand. Good luck :)

I'd go to a good shoe store and ask what they can do for you. If you can't find great shoes, then get arch supports to put in some nice shoes. I have read recently that Crocks aren't as good for your feet as they feel. I don't know this for a fact, but a foot person could tell you what they think. I saw that Meijer has a special insert-finder machine near their shoe inserts (usually in the pharmacy). You stand on it and it takes a reading of where you are putting your weight, then it tells you which special insert you need. It's worth checking in to.
Good Luck!

My sister is 30 weeks pregnant and on Saturday she was just telling me how she had a lot of leg (and I think back pain too), so she went ahead and got crocs as people were telling her to do and the pain subsided. She said they are so ideal for pregnancy. They went to Disney in September, so about 2 months ago, and she wore them the whole time going to all the parks and she was so thankful she had gotten them. Plus, I don't think any other shoe has that much room for the swollen feet. :) So if you could find some that would work for your job, they could probably help the pain. I'm not a fan at all of their looks, but I'd surely get them for comfort during pregnancy. :)