Yes,
yes I do love your shoes, as a matter of fact. I love all shoes – they’re my
favorite accessory and I sometimes literally drool over a beautiful pair of
Jimmy Choos (they’re just so comfortable and pretty!)
When
I began shopping for my wedding shoes, I thought “red, high-heeled, and
something eye-catching.” Almost as soon as I thought of these characteristics,
my mother began emailing me photos of shoes that matched those requirements; some
days, I’d wake up to more than 10 shoe-related emails in my in-box.
Yet,
when it came time to actually purchase my shoes, I went complete the opposite:
off-white, low heel, and pretty but basic. I loved my wedding shoes.
Wedding
shoes are a great way to show off a bride’s personality (red!), style (Jimmy
Choo!), or taste (glamorous!), but they are, in the end, shoes that she will
need to wear for hours and hours. At the end of my wedding – and the day after –
I was more than happy that I had chosen a low-heeled shoe: my calves and feet
would have been much more sore than they were had I worn something different
for nine hours.
Choosing
a wedding shoe requires balancing practicality and taste, which is not always easy.
During the task, HJ recommends considering:
The
length of time you’ll be in the shoes. It’s not only the length of the ceremony
and reception that we’re talking about, but also the time during photos, when
getting dressed, and other times during the day when you’ll be in full wedding
garb. Usually, this time is 2-3 hours longer than most brides believe.
The
length of time you’ll be standing and walking. Trust us, it’ll be a lot. Many
brides don’t remember sitting down at all except for the time they actually ate
dinner, and even that time is shorter than it is for guests because couples
visit tables during the meal. You’ll also be walking to photo locations and up
and down and aisle.
Your
budget. My closet is full of Manolos, Sandersons, and Choos. However, those
were purchased over time and not when I was also buying dinner for 100 people.
Fancy shoes are great, but if they don’t fit into your budget, remain realistic
and remember that the amount of time that anyone will actually see your shoes
is quite short and that, during most of your wedding, they’ll be covered by your
dress. Feel free to ignore these considerations if you’re wearing a short
dress.
The
surfaces upon which you’ll be walking: this is a HUGE consideration, and one
that many brides overlook. In fact, it’s such a large, important consideration,
that I’m breaking it up:
Rocky
terrain. Are you getting married in the mountains? If so, you’ll likely have
some rocks to contend with. In this situation we recommend very low heels or flats
with non-slip soles. Yes, we recommend shoes with rubber or other similar soles.
They may be more difficult to find, and you may have to have special soles
added to your shoes if you can’t find them (any shoe repair shop should be able
to add those for you for a nominal charge), but they’ll be worth it when they
prevent you from falling and breaking an ankle or otherwise hurting yourself.
Grassy
terrain. Getting married outside always – and we mean always – means that your
heels will sink into the grass. Sinking heels is fine if the grass is dry and
dirt packed solid, but if not, you’re assuring yourself a stuck heel and a
groom that needs to pull your heel out of the ground before recessing, not to
mention the risk of splattering dirt onto your dress or groom. For grassy
terrain, we recommend thick heels or flats.
Wet
or snowy terrain. If your wedding is in a location that experiences lots of
rain or snow (think Seattle), you also have to prepare to walk on slippery, wet
surfaces. Here again, we recommend shoes with rubber soles.
I
encourage you to purchase the shoes you like, but also the shoes that make
sense. I also encourage you to scuff-scuff-scuff! the soles and wear your shoes
several times before you walk down the aisle…nobody wants to see you slip!
