5 Shopping Tips For Finding Your Dream Wedding Shoes

Maybe you’re a shoe fanatic à la Carrie Bradshaw from the golden age of Sex And The City and the Manolo Blahnik moment; or perhaps you’re a more bohemian, barefoot, walk-on-the-beach-into-your-partner’s-arms kind of bride. No matter where you fall on the “to shoe or not to shoe” spectrum, you will definitely want to consider five things before clicking “add to cart” on the shoes of your wedding day dreams.

Comfort with a Capital C Not exactly what you may want to hear, but the truth is, after all these months of planning, prepping, and envisioning, the last thing you want to be worried about while you’re soaking in the magical moments of your wedding day is how badly your feet are hurting. Yes, EVEN if those shoes are perfection of epic proportions, who wants to be hobbling around or in pain for eight or more hours? Let’s be real, it’s going to be a long, long—albeit magical—day. Do yourself a favour and get real about your schedule, so you can enjoy every moment from head to toe.

Dress Length and Style The length of your dress is a key factor to consider when shopping for shoes. Do you want your shoes to peek out in photos, or will your dress even allow it? Will you be wearing a short number, with your shoes on full display? If your chosen shoe has an applique or embellishment that may snag the bottom of your dress, you may want to think twice about wearing it, depending on the length of your gown.

Consider the Venue Ballroom? Chapel aisle? Outdoor venue? Beach scene? Surface type matters, ladies! Pointy heels will sink into the grass, so opt for a platform or wedge if you’re outside. If you’re beach-bound, but not into having sand between your toes, opt for a closed-toed flat or sandals if you want to keep with the tropical vibe.

Build In A Break In Period In a clean, flat, spill-safe area, wear your selected shoes around... and around... and around again! It’s so important you take your shoes on a pre-game spin so that you don’t experience buyer’s remorse when you have blisters on hour two of eleven of your big day!

Don’t Choose Just One Pair You may have found your one and only partner, but who says you have to settle on just your one and only shoe? For just the ceremony and photos, you could opt for something more glamorous and showy, and then when you’re ready to dance the night away, have another pair on standby. Perhaps if you have a shorter dress, you’ll want to opt for flats or low heels, or even a platform or wedge to keep the height but boogie down without a care (or a blister). And if you love a great buy, why not buy a nude heel, or something in a neutral which you know you’ll re-wear with your favourite little black dress!

Brittany Johnson is a Canadian content creator, actress, and writer.  Vintage huntress and dog mom, when she is not working at a tech start-up, with a focus on lifting up the next generation of young women, she can be found in her bed with a facemask on, watching Nora Ephron movies on repeat.