After wriggling into a wedding gown that pinches your midsection into bridal perfection, you’ll be in need of some comfy shoes. For the bride who loves super-chic heels, this can be a tough call. As hard as it may be to tear your eyes away from the racks of five-inch heel dazzlers, the entire wedding depends on it! 

It’s important that you find shoes that feel just as good as they look. You’ll be standing and walking for the majority of the celebration. The average wedding lasts for approximately 7 hours. If you can’t imagine yourself balancing on those stilettos for longer than a few minutes, you may want to rethink your purchase! If your feet are going to be covered by your bridal gown anyway, you may want to look into getting an elegant pair of flats. Over the last few years this has become an increasingly popular choice for brides who want to enjoy the evening without worrying about aching feet. 

If your feet show or you need to add some height to your short frame, try to get heels that have extra padding. Moreover, do your best to keep it under 3 inches; anything higher may compromise your back, legs, and balance! You don’t want to draw attention away from your dress with large and in charge heels. The focus should always be: the wedding gown, hair, and face. And if you don’t wear heels often, don’t plan on starting on your wedding day! 

Brand and price play a huge role – you definitely get what you pair for when it comes to shoes. Generally the more expensive a pair of shoes are, the more comfortable they’ll be. If you only paid $20 for some classic pumps, beware! While they may feel bearable enough strutting about in the store, you may find that the cheap plastic chafes your feet after an hour. This is your wedding day, so plan on splurging a little bit. 

You may also want to avoid heels that have straps that wrap around your ankle and leg. Although these ballerina-inspired shoes are one of the cutest styles currently available, they’re also one of the most uncomfortable. Instead, get something less complicated, such as a one strap heel that fastens at the ankle. This will keep you from having to retie your shoes during the wedding festivities. 

Buy your shoes early so that you have plenty of time to break them in. Purchase them from a place that has a 30-day return policy. This way, you can exchange or return the shoes if they don’t meet a tolerable level of comfort. After you find the perfect fit, bring the shoes to your tailor so that he/she can hem the skirt accordingly. 

You need to also consider the groom when making your shoe purchase. You don’t want to tower over him at the altar or be eye-to-eye. Make sure that the top of your head is considerably lower than his; this will make him feel less self-conscious and look better in the wedding photos!