Qifeng Shoes Machine-Qifeng, as a shoe machine manufacturer, we provide kinds of news or information on shoes, footwear, shoe machine for you. Pregnant women may suffer from the hard choice for shoes because of their feet swilling. Now a company in the USA have introduced a kinds of new shoes designed for them. Hikers have them, dancers too, as do any number of people who stand for long periods or are just trying to relax. But until February, a shoe designed specifically for the needs of pregnant women was almost impossible to find.

New Life Shoes is a San Antonio company that has set out to change that.

Backed by a group of San Antonio-area investors and armed with advice from an Atlanta obstetrician and a core group of footwear industry veterans, New Life is off and running with an athletic shoe that it believes pregnant women will find easier to use and more comfortable than any competitors.

If it can land sales with 10 percent of the approximately 4.3 million women who are pregnant annually in the U.S., New Life can become a $35 million footwear company, Mark Connors said.

The company has set a goal of reaching that sales target in five to eight years. Connors considers that goal "very doable."

Adjusts to relieve swelling

The key differences it offers pregnant women is a fastening device, called the Z-Fit System, that can be tightened or loosened with one hand and a five-layer cushioning system, portions of which can be removed as the wearer's foot swells.

Blank, who took his idea to Connors, said the shoes not only had to be comfortable and easy to get on, they needed to be fashionable and affordable. An athletic shoe was a plus because it would encourage a prospective mother to exercise, the doctor said.

"The overall response has been complimentary for appearance, fit and comfort," said Blank, when asked what patients and nurses who tested the shoe said about the product. "I think it has lots of potential even outside of the maternity market."

Connors said the company is evaluating an expansion of the footwear line to serve other medical markets where foot swelling is an issue.

It also is in the process of developing different styles of shoes, including two types of sandals and a casual woman's shoe.

Seeking share of market

For now, the company is focusing on getting the word out about its maternity shoes and claiming a share of a maternity wear market that is expected to grow by 1.3 percent this year to $2 billion, according to IBISWorld market analysts.

Connors would not divulge specific sales totals for the company but said they met company expectations in March.

The company has pursued a nontraditional marketing campaign, promoting its shoes first through events for "mommy bloggers" who get the word out about new maternity products, and in the coming weeks, through brochures and sales displays available in the offices of obstetricians and gynecologists around the country.

Connors said that should lead to significant sales growth.