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Beware the ‘Cinderella complex’ that can mess up your feet after age 50

Nypost · · 682 words · By McKenzie Beard
Geriatric Health Podiatry and Foot Care Women's Health
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What to know about Geriatric Health

Beware the ‘Cinderella complex’ that can mess up your feet after age 50 See more of our coverage in your search results.

Claims checked 12
Techniques found 1
Topics 3

Coverage spectrum

Coverage gap: Low Left coverage
Left0%
Center75%
Right25%

4 sources compared across this story cluster. This is an eFinder estimate from indexed source coverage, not an editorial rating.

What happened

Beware the ‘Cinderella complex’ that can mess up your feet after age 50 See more of our coverage in your search results.

Why it matters

Add The New York Post on Google Walking a mile in someone else’s shoes is one thing.

Common ground

Fitting into your own shoes — decades after buying them — is another story.

Perspective signals

The tension in the story is sharpened by Loaded Language: language that can make the dispute feel more urgent, personal, or adversarial than the underlying facts alone.

open_in_new Read the original article: https://nypost.com/2026/08/14/health/beware-the-cinderella-complex-that-can-mess…

psychologyPropaganda Techniques Detected

eFinder identified 1 propaganda technique in this article. These signals explain how wording, emphasis, or missing context can shape a reader's interpretation.

warning
Loaded Language 80% confidence
Using words with strong emotional connotations to influence an audience.
Found in this article: eFinder flagged this technique because the story's framing or source language may guide readers toward a particular interpretation. Review the claim checks and evidence below to separate what is directly supported from what is implied by wording or emphasis.
Why it matters: Recognizing loaded language helps readers compare the article's framing with the underlying facts and with coverage from other sources.

fact_checkClaims Checked

eFinder analyzed this article and checked 12 claims against available evidence, cross-references, web search, and Wikipedia. Here is what the fact-checking layer found.

check_circle Corroborated 5
info Single Source 2
verified Verified By Reference 2
schedule Pending 2
help Insufficient Evidence 1
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Claim 1: “Hormonal fluctuations during pregnancy and menopause play a role [in foot problems that alter shoe size]”
INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE
No evidence was found or provided for this claim.
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Claim 2: “Dr. Rock Positano, a podiatrist and co-director of the Non-Surgical Foot and Ankle Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple independent sources (Healthgrades, Yale School of Public Health, The Hospital Online) confirm Dr. Rock Positano is a podiatrist and Co-Director of the Non-surgical Foot and Ankle Service at the Hospital for Special Surgery in NYC.
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web search NEUTRAL — Dr. Positano, Co-Director of the Non-surgical Foot and Ankle Service, specializes in musculoskeletal podiatry, lower extremity biomechanics, gait analysis, and sports injury prevention in the active p…
https://www.healthgrades.com/physician/dr-rock-positano-xynr…
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web search NEUTRAL — Rock G. Positano, DPM, MSc, MPH, DSc has been on staff at the Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) since 1991 and is internationally known for his non-surgical approach for the treatment of foot disorde…
https://ysph.yale.edu/profile/rock-positano/
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web search NEUTRAL — In addition, Dr. Positano's Center at Hospital for Special Surgery in New York City also focuses on the effect that abnormal foot function has on the development of knee, hip and lower back disorders …
https://www.thehospitalonline.com/en-us/66/doctor-profile
info
Claim 3: “putting on a few extra pounds can also mean needing a little more room in your shoes.”
SINGLE SOURCE
The search results discuss weight gain diets and the causes of weight gain, but none of the provided sources mention a link between weight gain and an increase in required shoe size.
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — Making dietary changes may help you gain weight healthily, such as increasing your intake of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. You can also try consuming nuts, dried fruit, and shakes.
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/how-to-gain-weight
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web search NEUTRAL — a leading contributor to weight gain.
https://www.verywellmind.com/how-stress-can-cause-weight-gai…
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web search NEUTRAL — Weight gaining diet What Is a Weight Gaining Diet?
https://www.verywellfit.com/strength-training-weight-gain-34…
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Claim 4: “Women who have had children can also see their feet grow.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources (University of Iowa, and two other web results) explicitly state that pregnancy can cause an increase in foot size.
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web search NEUTRAL — Changes in foot size caused by pregnancy may increase arthritis risk. Friday, March 1, 2013.The UI study followed 49 pregnant women and collected static and dynamic arch measurements during the first …
https://now.uiowa.edu/news/2013/03/foot-facts
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web search NEUTRAL — During pregnancy, many women experience changes in their bodies, including foot size growth.The hormone relaxin, which helps to relax the ligaments in the pelvis for childbirth, can also affect the li…
https://www.bocadeerfieldfootcare.com/blog/foot-size-changes…
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web search NEUTRAL — This can cause discomfort. The swelling can temporarily increase foot size by a shoe size or more. The hormone relaxin, which loosens ligaments in preparation for childbirth, can also affect the struc…
https://www.corpusfeet.com/blog/foot-size-during-pregnancy.h…
verified
Claim 5: “it is unlikely that your shoe size at age 20 is going to be the same at age 50.”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided evidence consists of shoe size conversion charts and unrelated Wikipedia entries about chromosomes and fictional armies. No evidence was provided that addresses whether shoe size typically changes between ages 20 and 50.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Chromosome 20 is one of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in humans. Chromosome 20 spans around 66 million base pairs (the building material of DNA) and represents between 2 and 2.5 percent of the total DNA…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chromosome_20
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Humans (Homo sapiens, meaning 'thinking man' or 'wise man') are the most abundant and widespread species of primates, characterized by bipedalism, minimal body hair, and large, complex brains enabling…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Red Ribbon Army (レッドリボン軍, Reddo Ribon Gun) is a fictional antagonistic faction featured in Akira Toriyama's Dragon Ball anime and manga series. The many operatives of the Red Ribbon Army, led by C…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Ribbon_Army
+ 3 more evidence sources
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Claim 6: “The same study found that many women wearing too-small shoes had foot pain and deformities”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that wearing shoes that are too small is associated with foot pain and deformities like bunions and hammertoes in women.
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web search NEUTRAL — The women without foot pain or deformities also wore shoes that were smaller than their feet but to a lesser degree. In the present study, data on 255 of the original 356 women are evaluated. Tracings…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/350798255_Prevalenc…
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web search NEUTRAL — For women, this may be particularly true, likely because many women wear shoes that are too small for their feet. The result? Conditions like bunions, hammertoes, or other painful foot deformities—all…
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/bunions-calluses-other-annoy…
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web search NEUTRAL — • Nine out of 10 women's foot deformities can be attributed to tight shoes. High-heeled, pointed-toe shoes can cause numerous orthopedic problems, leading to discomfort or injury to the toes, ankles, …
https://vimeo.com/31209868
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Claim 7: “there is also a hormone called relaxin that is produced in the first trimester that helps the ligaments to loosen in the birth canal to facilitate delivery”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources, including a Wikipedia entry and medical definitions, confirm that relaxin is produced during pregnancy to loosen ligaments in the pelvis/birth canal to facilitate delivery.
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web search NEUTRAL — Relaxin is a protein hormone of about 6000 Da, first described in 1926 by Frederick Hisaw.Relaxin is believed to relax the uterine muscle and to loosen the ligaments holding the pelvic bones together,…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relaxin
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web search NEUTRAL — Relaxin: Loosens ligaments and softens cervixProgesterone: Maintains endometrium and prevents uterine contractionsBoth are produced by the corpus luteum during early pregnancy
https://www.vedantu.com/biology/relaxin
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web search NEUTRAL — Relaxin is a hormone that relaxes your muscles, joints and ligaments. It increases during pregnancy to help the fetus grow and to prepare your pelvis for delivery.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/24305-relaxin
schedule
Claim 8: “Narrow, tapered toe boxes and high heels shift weight forward and squeeze the toes into unnatural positions, potentially causing structural damage over time.”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
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Claim 9: “this hormone affects [the foot ligaments] as well, which can cause an increase of one or two shoe sizes.”
CORROBORATED
Multiple sources confirm that the hormone relaxin affects foot ligaments, leading to arch flattening and permanent or temporary increases in shoe size.
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web search NEUTRAL — Quick Answer: Pregnancy causes significant foot changes including swelling (edema), arch flattening from relaxin hormone, and permanent size increases.
https://www.michiganfootdoctors.com/foot-care-during-pregnan…
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web search NEUTRAL — They're caused by changes in weight distribution, hormonal changes and fluid retention. They can cause a wide range of musculoskeletal issues like sprains and fractures, ligament tears, overuse injuri…
https://health.usnews.com/pregnancy/articles/foot-problems-d…
travel_explore
web search NEUTRAL — During pregnancy, an increase in hormones such as estrogen, relaxin and adrenocortical hormones can cause the fibers in skin to soften, weakening the skin’s elasticity and making it more prone to stre…
https://livehealthy.muhealth.org/stories/science-behind-mom-…
schedule
Claim 10: “Shoes that don’t fit correctly may cause a variety of problems such as tendonitis, blisters, ankle swelling and knee, hip and lower back pain”
PENDING
This claim was extracted as a checkable statement from the article. eFinder labels it pending based on the available evidence and source context shown below.
verified
Claim 11: “Especially after 50, women are more likely than men to develop problems such as joint pain, collapsed arches, plantar fasciitis, bunions and hammertoes”
VERIFIED BY REFERENCE
The provided Wikipedia results are completely irrelevant, discussing swimming competitions and a political campaign in Scotland. No evidence was provided regarding the prevalence of foot problems in women over 50 compared to men.
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Women's 50 metre freestyle competition of the swimming events at the 2015 World Aquatics Championships was held on 8 August with the heats and the semifinals and 9 August with the final.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_at_the_2015_World_Aqu…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The women's 50 metre butterfly competition at the 2026 Mediterranean Games was held on 22 August at the Torre d'Ayala Swimming Stadium in Taranto.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Swimming_at_the_2026_Mediterra…
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Women 50:50 is the campaign for legislated candidate quotas and fair representation of women in Scottish public life, including as political representatives and public board members.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Women_50:50
info
Claim 12: “One landmark study found that, among 356 women examined, a majority were cramming their dogs into ill-fitting footwear — and had gone up in shoe size since their younger years.”
SINGLE SOURCE
While a web search result for claim 3 mentions a study involving 356 women and foot deformities, the specific claim that a 'majority' were cramming their feet into ill-fitting shoes and had increased in size since youth is not explicitly corroborated by the provided evidence snippets. The Wikipedia results provided are completely irrelevant (rifles, years, cars).
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The .356 Winchester (9.1x65mmSR) is a semi-rimmed, bottle-necked, centerfire rifle cartridge which was designed for use in lever-action rifles. It was developed concurrently with the .307 Winchester w…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.356_Winchester
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — Year 356 (CCCLVI) was a leap year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Constantius and Iulianus (or, less frequently, year 1109 Ab urbe…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/356
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wikipedia NEUTRAL — The Porsche 356 is a rear-engine sports car, and the first-ever production Porsche model. The 356 is a lightweight and nimble-handling, rear-engine, rear-wheel drive, two-door available both in hardto…
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Porsche_356
info Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI and should be used as a starting point for critical thinking, not as definitive truth. Claims are verified against publicly available sources. Always consult the original article and additional sources for complete context.