Discover how comfort is finally trumping vanity for this mum, thanks to a new “must-have” for busy, active parents.
A few months ago, I decided to throw out my bras. This wasn’t because I had rewatched Barbie and felt a sudden urge to re-enact the 1968 Miss America beauty pageant protest where feminists threw away things that “oppressed” them.
As I head towards a certain vintage, I have found my priorities shifting. Getting rid of my bras was simply a reflection of how the need for comfort has been promoted rapidly to the top of my priority list in recent years.
Now, to be clear, it was only a specific type of bra that I threw out—the underwire ones. I’d had enough of moulding my body parts into unnatural shapes.
The habit I didn’t know I had
It took being pregnant for me to discover I had been moulding a particular part of my body into an unnatural shape for a large part of my life. I’d been doing it for so long I stopped noticing I was even doing it; it had become as normal as breathing.
Conscious of not having a flat tummy, I had made it a habit from a really young age to suck my stomach in from the moment I woke up to when I went to bed at night.
Then I became pregnant.
Initially, I was still unconsciously holding my tummy in. However, as my abdominal muscles separated to accommodate my growing uterus, it became increasingly uncomfortable (and impossible) to do so. I was suddenly made aware of what I had been doing to my body all these years.
I remember being glad to be rid of this habit I forgot I had. I was happy to have a growing belly and relieved to “let it all hang out” without judgement.
After giving birth, I tried to revert to my old ways but found I could no longer do it. Physically, it felt strange and challenging to hold my stomach in for any extended period. Mentally, I just no longer had the drive to do so. It was far more comfortable to simply relax my body and breathe easily.
The search for the perfect footwear
Whether it’s becoming a mum or simply maturing, comfort is definitely starting to trump vanity in my life. Since falling pregnant, I’ve also stopped wearing high heels. I was never a big fan of heels to begin with, but I did wear them regularly. All of that stopped when I became pregnant, as I sought to reduce the (somewhat ridiculous) risk of “falling from height” and harming my baby.
My son is about to turn 10 this year and my collection of heels has been gathering dust on the shoe rack for the past decade. The comfort that comes with wearing flats far outweighs the appeal of nice-looking calves.
For the longest time, my go-to footwear has been my trusty pair of Birkenstocks. I’d been wearing the German-made “hippy” sandals for a long time (not the same pair to be clear, I did replace them as they fell apart over the years) and quite literally travelled the world with them back in my youth.
I loved the way they moulded to the unique shape of my feet and encased them in a snug hug. They were comfortable, they were convenient . . . until it rained or I went to the beach or pool.
As their straps were made from leather and the footbed liner was made of soft suede, I couldn’t get them wet or they’d get stinky, mouldy or irreparably damaged. As a vegetarian, largely because of my concerns about animal cruelty, I also struggled with the fact that a cow had to die for my Birkenstocks.
Finding joy in Joybees
By late last year it was clear that I needed to replace my pair of Birkenstocks. The soles had lost all traction and my son had to hold my hand whenever it rained for fear I would slip and fall. The straps were on the verge of breaking and the footbed was cracked and nearly worn down to the sole.
I would have purchased a new pair of Birkenstocks but their range had become drastically limited in recent years—reduced to dark, solid colours. As someone who loves colour, that simply wouldn’t do.
Just as I was considering their EVA (ethylene vinyl acetate) range with their bright colours and waterproof properties, I was offered the opportunity to review Joybees, an American footwear brand that recently landed in Australia.
The pair Joybees generously sent me was orange—my favourite colour (a complete coincidence)—and surprisingly light. While their kids’ range has a similar look to Crocs (not my favourite look), my review pair, with its thin straps across the top of the feet, looked far more stylish for a grown woman who still values comfort.
Still, I wasn’t sure they were going to replace my Birkenstocks. Sure, they were waterproof and low maintenance, but were they comfortable and convenient?
As it turns out, my pair of Joybees are fast becoming my new go-to footwear. The honeycomb footbed is not only soft, but slightly bouncy too. They’re surprisingly comfortable to wear, while still staying snug on your feet, which means you can walk for hours without pain or chase after your son without fear of them flying off.
Being so light also means it’s easy to travel with them, which I will be in the foreseeable future. Even better, because they’re waterproof (and slip-proof), I no longer have to fear the rain or large bodies of water, and they’re perfect to slip on after the beach or pool. If they get dirty, it’s a quick rinse with soap and water.
I didn’t plan on loving these pair of sandals quite as much, but they’ve passed the test for convenience, style and comfort. Looking at them brings a smile to my face too.
Read next: I used to hate my body—here’s what changed
I traded my underwires and heels for joy
