A Case for Giving Your Feet a Break
Image by Dan O'Day
It’s a fair call to say that we take our wedding as our opportunity to buy the shoes we may never buy for ourselves otherwise, right? It’s a great justification to throw 500 big ones in the direction of a pair of custom made heels you’ve been drooling over on Instagram for months.
But we can’t tell you how many times our hearts have been broken as we’ve watched our beautiful bride struggle her way through her wedding day in heels that were poorly chosen.
Unicorns do exist, and I have seen women seemingly glide through an entire wedding day in Jimmy Choos without so much as a wince. But not everyone has the skill (or the calves) to manage themselves on stiletto heels for 6+ hours on any day, much less at the chaos of a wedding.
So we're here to write a case for giving your feet a break. Thankfully, if you’re getting married in the next foreseeable fashion season, we have great news: Block and Low Heels are IN! It would be not only practical but an endlessly chic move for a bride to wear a boot, a shiny gold loafer, or a low, chunky heel these days (can I get an amen?). So as you lust for expensive shoes, direct your eyes toward the mules, the boots, or the 4 cm Robin’s Egg coloured block heels that that Everlane is causing us to drool over from across the seas.
Comfortable doesn’t have to mean Crocs, ladies.
Consider, also, your wedding day in general. Are you going for a Sex & the City, high society black tie kind of affair? Then, sure, you might have to give a prayer to the fashion gods that day and take one for the team as you rock your silky frock paired with a thin, brave heel. But if you’re having a reception in a paddock under the stars or even walking from a ceremony spot to a hip bar for a cocktail reception, it wouldn’t be the worst idea to opt for a lower, more practical heel.
Image by Dan O'Day
For starters, Ashley Lim's stunning Scarlett Mary Jane Pumps in Olive Green Velvet are the perfect marriage of style alongside a heel height that no one needs to argue with. The shape and fit will help you keep these beauties on well through the dance floor.
Ashley Lim also makes an epic metallic coloured loafer (the Ecstasy Tassle Leather Loafers in Metallic Gold) that every bride would thank themselves for choosing. We all know loafers are comfy, but if you have the added bonus of looking like a badass in golden shoes, then we’ll take two, thanks. Note: this is a great option for those looking to lose a bit of height on a wedding day, instead of gain it. The look would suit well in an urban wedding environment.
Image by Dan O'Day
Image source: Everlane
Especially if you choose a longer length dress that spends most of the day covering your feet, you’re going to want to choose some footwear that treats you kindly while making a beautiful statement when they pop out for a walk every once in a while. The V Heel from Everlane has sharp lines without the sharp pain of a high heel - timeless style and comes in multiple colours. And for all you jumpsuit wearing brides, The Editor Slingback in Natural Suede is a flat footed option that is seamlessly chic.
And when we say, "Boot" we're not saying that every wedding is suited to an RM. I personally come from a regional place where commercial fishing rainboots are a popular choice for brides and their bridal parties to adorn under their frocks (shutter). The road to a classy boot these days is not a hard one to find (although a top tier price tag, the Maryam Nassir Zadeh Agnes Boot in Staw Suede is the thing of our bridal footwear dreams).
Whatever the footwear choice you make, ladies, all we're suggesting is a few things to consider along the way:
Location, location, location - What kind of party environment will you be strutting your bridal stuff in?
The Gown - Not all skirts lend themselves to a stiletto heel. We've seen countless spikey (or bedazzled) heels get caught in countless tulle skirts walking from one place to another on a wedding day, and no bridesmaid can come back from saving you from that 5+ times.
The Girl - Are you feeling the pressure from Auntie to wear a pair of classic heels, when you usually live in mules? Your wedding day shouldn't be anyone else's but your own, and that means from the way things are planned all the way down to the boot you choose to rock. Do and wear only what feels authentic, comfortable, and amazing to you.
