Comfortable bridal shoes for an unforgettable day
When planning a wedding, there are countess things on the to-do list: choosing a location, cake, music and—of course—finding the perfect wedding dress. Once you’ve chosen your dream dress, the only things left to make a breathtaking entrance are hair, makeup, accessories and comfortable shoes. Choosing the right pair of bridal shoes should definitely be something to which you give serious thought, because nobody wants to spend the night trying to dance with painful feet! From bridal sneakers to white ballet flats to high heels, here we’ll help you choose the right wedding shoes for your big day.
WHICH BRIDAL SHOES GO WITH WHICH KIND OF DRESS?
When choosing bridal shoes, there are a number of factors to keep in mind: firstly, the dress that you’ve chosen; the bride’s individual style; the weather/season of your wedding day; and the wedding’s theme. Above all, your bridal shoes should be high-quality, and they should be comfortable. After all, your shoes will be with you all day long—from your pre-ceremony photo shoot through to your first dance.
FIRST THE DRESS—THEN THE SHOES
It probably goes without saying that the wedding dress you choose will play a big role in which type of shoes you’ll pick. A good, general rule of thumb that almost always works when choosing bridal shoes is: the more eye-catching and detailed the dress, the more subtle and simple the shoes. On the contrary, if your wedding dress is chic and simple, extravagant (or even colorful) shoes can look especially good. Many brides choose classic high heels or peep-toe heels—but remember that you’ve got to practice walking well in these! If you’re really not used to using heels regularly, you can feel uncomfortable and ungraceful on your big day. So if you really can’t give up heels on your wedding day, there’s just one thing that helps: practice, practice, practice. On the other hand, white ballerina flats are actually an elegant, comfortable alternative to high heels. Plus, they’re a great choice for brides who would otherwise be taller than their groom when wearing heels.
THE BRIDE’S INDIVIDUAL STYLE
No matter if it’s boho, vintage or minimalist, each wedding has its own unique character—and this also goes for bridal shoes. For romantic weddings, with a wedding gown featuring lots of tulle and lace, delicate high heels are a good choice. Comfortable, white ballet flats complement more minimalist weddings perfectly. For a casual, cool looks, sporty sneakers go great with an A-line wedding dress. Who says that heels are the only option for a chic wedding look?
THE WEATHER AND SEASON OF THE WEDDING DATE
Cold, damp feet are a no-go on your wedding day—which is why you’ve got to keep the weather in mind when choosing bridal shoes. Ballerina flats made of water-repellent material like our Ballet flats made of recycled PET plastic are ideal for summer weddings—then, not even even a surprise rain shower can stand in your way on your big day. For wedding dates that fall in cooler temperatures, close-toed shoes or our sneakers made of Merino Wool are a better option. They naturally warm your feet, and also wick moisture which keeps your feet feeling comfortably dry all day long.
BREAKING IN BRIDAL SHOES BEFORE YOUR WEDDING DAY?
After choosing your bridal shoes, it’s wise—and recommended—to spend multiple days (or even weeks) breaking them in. Even if the bridal shoes you’ve chosen are of the highest quality, your first days of wear can result in painful pressure points or blisters. The best way to do this is to wear the shoes just at home or at work; this way, they’re less likely to get dirty. Even if they do get dirty, though, our Ballet flats and Sneakers can be washed quickly and easily in the washing machine. à Here’s our washing guide for our Merino Shoes.
PRACTICAL BRIDAL SHOE TIPS:
- Buy your wedding shoes in the afternoon, because this is when your feet are at their largest. (This is because feet tend to swell slightly as the day goes on.) Doing this will help make sure that you’ve chosen the right size. You can find further helpful tips for buying the right size of shoes in our blog post: How should shoes fit?
- Bring your bridal shoes with to your alterations appointments for your wedding dress. When pinning your dress and planning the alterations, your shoes are important for determining the correct seam length.
- Don’t forget to have a backup pair of ballerina flats or sneakers on hand for your wedding day. Then if your feet start to hurt, you can quickly switch over to your more comfortable alternative—and nothing will stand in the way of celebrating and dancing the night away.
- Even if you’ve broken your bridal shoes in well, blisters can still always pop up on your wedding day. Make sure to have some Band-Aids or blister pads in your “emergency” kit for your big day. These come in all different shapes and sizes: including for the heel, ball of your foot, or other small locations like on your foot’s instep.
WEDDING SHOES FOR THE GROOM
We wouldn’t want to forget the groom, of course! With a chic tuxedo, classic leather shoes are an elegant choice. Here too, there are a variety of models: flat patent leather shoes, leather brogue shoes, or those with more extravagant patterns. For grooms who aren’t a fan of leather shoes—or who don’t find them comfortable—opting for sneakers with a suit can be a chic choice. Sneakers in black, white, grey or dark blue work best when going for this look.