A guide to Wedding shoe comfort

I saw an article posted a few months ago commemorating the 14th anniversary of the release of "Shoes" by LiamKyleSullivan on YouTube. Although quite vulgar, and classically hilarious, it got us thinking about how important shoes are - especially when you have to choose a pair to wear on the biggest day of your life. How does a person navigate and choose from the endless styles available?

Brides will often go for something that has some sparkle or a unique style that is special to them - meaning the style of shoe is the first priority. The level of comfort will usually be an afterthought, where mom will ask, "are you sure you're going to be comfortable in those?" (thanks mom).

QUALITY MATERIALS = COMFORT

A good shoe can make a huge difference by the end of the night. Poor quality materials can cause chaffing, blisters, and can fall apart prematurely - not something you want to be dealing with during your first dance.

Make sure your shoe is made with quality materials for optimal comfort.

Leather is a natural cushion and is often soft enough that it will not irritate skin as much as synthetic materials, and most heels and wedges will either have a leather or synthetic leather insole. Budget shoes will often be made purely out of synthetic/plastic substitutes - which means you might have to buy gel insoles and stock up on band-aids to alleviate some discomfort.

Find a quality shoe on sale.

I am a huge fan of never paying full price for anything. Stores like Michael Kors and Ted Baker will often hold End of Season sales where you can get a great shoe for 40-60% off. Nordstrom and Saks off 5th will also have a clearance section for high end brands like Jimmy Choo and Stuart Weitzman. It might take a little searching and waiting, but sales always happen!

FIND YOUR COMFORT THRESHOLD

When it comes to wearing shoes all day long, it is important to understand your current comfort threshold. Do you walk around all day in flats/sneakers, kitten heels, or high heels? Many women jump to the mindset of wearing heels for their big day, without thinking thoroughly about how their feet will handle it.

Not knowing your threshold often leads to extremely sore feet within a few hours of putting on your wedding shoes.

Find a style within your comfort threshold. Some opt for sparkly flats, Converse high-tops, and even cowboy boots - all unique and comfortable styles that any person can wear. If you want to wear something outside of your current threshold, you might want to start training your muscles. Wearing heels and doing calf-raise exercises regularly during the weeks leading up to your big day can help alleviate some tenderness.

Bring a Backup

By time dinner rolls around, most brides will have been in their shoes for about 4-6 hours. Depending on the shoe, you might be dying to sit down, take them of, and give your feet a well-deserved rest. Most of your bridal party and guests will be in the same boat.

Have a backup option like flats, runners, or flip-flops. Avoid going barefoot (spoiler alert: it's dangerous!).

Glass and small sharp debris often pose a hazard to bare feet - mix them with intoxicated people and you can have some unfortunate results. Urge your wedding party to bring a backup pair of shoes, or even include Foldable Ballet Flats in a small gift set for them on the day-of. We have also seen couples offer a box of flip flops (purchased from Dollarama & Dollar Tree) for their guests, to help them keep dancing all night long.

Closing remarks

To recap everything in the previous paragraphs: buy shoes made from quality materials, find your comfort threshold, and have a backup pair. It is so important that you are not only stylish, but comfortable for the entire duration of your day. Weddings are stressful enough, and adding stress to your feet is like adding a cherry on top of ice-cream... but opposite.

Wishing all of our brides the best of luck while hunting for the perfect (and most comfortable) shoe to walk down the aisle in.

xx Iain & Cass