(Photographer David Ramos / Getty Images)

And I thought only MY Feet went up a size during pregnancy!

In 2021, the most decorated woman in track and field history, Allyson Felix, launched a small independent shoe company named Saysh. Its primary product was a pair of athleisure sneakers called Saysh One. Each sneaker weighs less than 4 oz., has a knit mesh upper section, microsuede touches, and an injection-molded plate made from lightweight Pebax foam. It is a breathable, everyday sneaker.

Felix’s sponsor at the Tokyo Olympic games was Nike. While negotiating a new contract in 2018, she was pregnant with her first child. According to Felix, Nike offered her a 70% pay cut which resulted in a breakup and lots of bad press for Nike and several other athletic-wear companies for the way they treated their pregnant athletes. Nike also refused to guarantee that Felix wouldn’t be penalized if she didn’t perform up to her previous levels in the months around childbirth. After the breakup between Felix and Nike, maternity protection was greatly improved at Nike and the other companies. Nike announced a new maternity policy that guaranteed an athlete’s pay and bonuses for 18 months surrounding pregnancy.

About two weeks ago Felix announced Saysh Maternity Returns, a policy by Saysh to offer free sneakers, no questions asked, for women (who have previously bought a pair of Saysh Ones) whose shoe size changed during pregnancy. My three pregnancies resulted in a shoe size increase of one full size. I was bereft because I couldn’t wear any of my most favorite shoes and had to buy all new shoes in a larger size. It was expensive! Saysh is the first shoe company to ever offer such a policy to pregnant women. The policy states that if you owned a pair of Saysh Ones and your feet changed size due to pregnancy Saysh will send you a new pair, in the appropriate size, for free.

Felix began advocating for pregnant women in 2019, after her disappointment with the way Nike treated her during her pregnancy. She has advocated for better medical treatment for women and helped bring about pregnancy-policy reform across the sport of track and field.

In 2021, Felix teamed up with Athleta and the Women’s Sports Foundation to cover childcare costs for athletic mothers. The program is called The Power of She Fund: Child Care Grants. It is a $200,000 grant program to cover childcare costs for professional athletes who are also mothers and traveling to competitions. Felix has also advocated for and raised awareness of the Black maternal health crisis in the U.S.

The Saysh One, the first shoe Felix has brought to market, is $150 a pair and comes in three colors – black, blue, and white.

https://saysh.com/products/saysh-one

Here is the Instagram post announcing this new maternity policy: