Now that 40 million women are reaching the age where their feet hurt when they slip into designer shoes. Its the shoes that are changing.

Baby Boomer women still love their stylish footwear, but some of them are now dealing with unpleasant conditions such as hammertoe and Morton's neuroma, a painful nerve disorder. These problems are not found in men.

Podiatrist blame pointy toes and stiletto heels for creating foot problems. Even if you don't have such serious conditions, as you age, you may suffer from bunions, or simply notice that comfort matters more than it used to.

The American College of Foot and Ankle Surgeons has also warned against the whammy of wearing narrow toed dress shoes to work and pounding the pavement when you run. Boomer women, famous for exercising long past the age previous generations did , should take note.

There is good news....It used to be women had to sacrifice comfort for style. That's changing. A few years ago, Comfort One Shoes, a regional chain in the Baltimore area, switched its motto from "The World's Most Comfortable Shoes" to "A World of Style." Once known for its Birkenstocks and other casual bohemian comfort shoes. Comfort One now also carries expensive, dressier European lines such as Thierry Rabotin, Trevata and Ara.

You won't find excessively pointed toes. One of the characteristics of designer comfort shoes is a wider "toe box with more wiggle room, and narrower heels so the shoe doesn't slip back. There's also more arch support. The heels don't lift you up and throw your foot to the front of the shoes, they lift you up and rest you on your arch.

If you're one of those women who wouldn't be caught dead in a comfort-shoe store, even if its motto has changed, no worries.

These days, comfort shoes with cachet can be found in the high-end shops that would never have thought of carrying such styles in the past.

Baby Boomer Women are demanding comfort, but still want to look young.

Designer shoes have much more padding these's days and more cushioning, in the shoes make a big difference for aging feet.