12 Dos & Don’ts For Buying Mother Of The Bride Shoes

Finding the right shoes to wear to your daughter or son’s wedding is a challenge. You want your shoes to be beautiful, elegant, and classy, but it’s going to be a long day, so they need to be comfy too. Here are 9 Do’s and Don’ts for picking and wearing the perfect pair of Mother of the Bride shoes.

1. Do Choose a Feminine Shoe

A wedding is a gala affair, so stay clear of heavy, clunky shoes that weigh you down or belong at the office. For example, boxy or squared-toe shoes do nothing to elongate your leg and are best left to more casual outfits. This romantic event calls for an evening shoe that is lightweight and delicate.  Choose a refined shoe with a pointy or round toe and a slender heel above all feminine and pretty. Stacked heel, lucite heels have a Cinderella quality, so they work well too.

2.  Do Dump the Idea of a Dye-able shoe

Perfectly matching the color of your shoes to your mother of the bride gown looks very dated. Plus, dyed satin shoes are not water-resistant and can bleed if your feet get sweaty or you spill a drink on them. Instead, choose a shoe color that coordinates with, not matches, your dress. For example, a shoe that is one shade darker than your dress would work fine.

Neutral shades are elegant and work best with a colorful dress. This includes metallic shoes in gold and silver tones.  Champagne, a soft, light gold, is very popular all year round. In the fall, bronze and smokey pewter can also work too.  If your dress is black, a simple black shoes will look best.

3. Do Buy Shoes That Fit Perfectly!

Too many women fall in love with a shoe that’s a half size too big and end up stepping out of it. Or, they buy a size too small, hoping they’ll be able to ignore the pain. You can’t. If you can’t get the store to locate it in the correct size, move on, and choose something else!

4. Don’t  Sacrifice Quality Because of Price

Well-made, comfortable shoes are worth paying a little more for since they have more padding. Scrimp on less essential things. (We won’t tell anyone those earrings are faux-pearl!)

5. Do Consider Weight

The weight of the shoe should echo the weight of the fabric.  If it is a winter wedding and your dress is a heavier fabric, a closed-toe shoe is best.  In warmer months, a sandal or peep toe is perfect.

6. Don’t Wear Shoes You Can Fall Off

The two worst shoes for falling off of are backless mules and shoes with very high heels. Mules aren’t comfy anyway, and five-inch stiletto heels will give you rolled ankles and swollen feet if you are not used to wearing them. Four inches is the maximum you should go. It would be pretty embarrassing to take a tumble.

7.  Don’t Wear Thin Straps

First of all, be careful about choosing a shoe with too many straps because straps don’t provide much support, and you could end up wobbling around in them all night.  Second, thin straps are notorious for digging and cutting into your foot. No want needs that kind of pain during such a special event.

8.  Do Add Foot Padding

It’s a long day, and there’s nothing worse than tired, sore feet.  A little cushion at the ball of your foot or extra padding at your heel can help you keep your feet feeling much comfier.  You also might want to have your cobbler put some non-slip rubber on the soles of your shoes. This will prevent slipping and keep your shoes from being scuffed. Let’s make sure the limo, not the ambulance, is what transports you from the ceremony to reception!

9.  Don’t Stress Over Trying to Match

Trying to match your dress to your shoes, or your shoes to your evening bag, is old school. It was popular 20 years ago, but today it looks boring and will date your outfit and age you. It’s much more modern to get shoes and a purse that complement each other, not match perfectly.

10.  Do Test Drive Your Shoes Before The Wedding

We know that formal shoes are not known for being comfortable, but there is something you can do to keep from limping around by the end of the day. Break your new shoes in by walking around and going up the stairs in them. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself at the reception looking for a bandaid because you have big blisters.

11.  Don’t Change Into Rubber or Plastic Flip Flops During the Reception, or Even Worse, Go Barefoot

You might want to have a second pair of shoes on hand, with a lower heel, ready to slip on after walking down the aisle and the photos are finished. But remember, the dance floor is not a dormitory shower or the boardwalk. Change into a lower-heeled formal shoe if you must, but respect the formality of the event.

12. Do pick up a copy of my e-book Tweak Your Chic- Mother of the Bride

It’s jam-packed full of ideas for shoes, dresses, and accessories to wear on the big day to Look Fabulous after 40 at the Wedding!