Here’s the Genius Reason Why Meghan Markle Wears Her Shoes Too Big

Meghan Markle, a.k.a. the Duchess of Sussex, is quickly following in Kate Middleton’s footsteps to become a style icon of her own—whether she’s following the royal dress code or breaking it. Either way, it’s safe to say that the Meghan Markle Effect is in full force.

But there’s one particular thing she does that’s been making royal-waters scratch their heads time and time again: She consistently wears shoes that are way too big for her feet. She wore the wrong shoe size as recently as June 19 when she was in Berkshire for the Royal Ascot.

If you peek at photos of Meghan over the past few months, it’s evident this isn’t a one-time mistake by her stylist. After all, everyone has their shoe size memorized. As it turns out, there’s a very good, extremely practical reason for it.

First, however, some photographic evidence.

On her first solo trip with the Queen on June 14:

At a memorial service in St Martin-in-the-Fields, London on April 23:

In Lisbern, Northern Ireland, with Prince Harry on March 23:

At her engagement-announcement photo call in November:

According to The Sun, wearing her shoes too big is a conscious sartorial decision by Meghan Markle. “Celebs often go a size up, or even two, in the shoe department when they’re at an event or on the red carpet, and it’s for one reason we can all relate to—to avoid blisters,” fashion expert Harriet Davey told the online newspaper.

“The swelling can cause blisters and in the long run bunions,” she told The Sun.

You’d think walking in shoes that are way too large would be a difficult task, but as Davey told the Sun, “a trick of the trade is to stuff the toe with padding like tissue or cotton wool, and this can be taken out once they feel like they need a bit more room in their shoes.”

If it means we’ll never get blisters ever again, this might be one royal habit we can get behind.

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