Reader Sam-Antha queries:
Turns out I need closed toe shoes to match this dress in the color "bluebird". What shoes can I get under $100 that won't look ridiculous. Heels can't be too tall, I'm already 5'8 and don't want to look awkward in wedding photos. I'm vaguely Beyonce colored so nude shoes are usually a problem. I'm between a 9.5-10 depending on the shoe.
Ah the joys of being a bridesmaid - you think you're good after you've booked your travel, helped plan the bachelorette party and shower, and found a dress. But the shoes sneak up on you. The ultimate goal for all bridesmaids should be to find shoes that will be both comfortable AND reusable. But, I think the first priority should be comfort because DAYUM you stand a lot during the day of the wedding as a bridesmaid. Okay - so for those playing along at home, this is the dress that the lovely Sam-Antha (that is how she submitted her name so that's what I'm sticking with) is wearing.
Turns out I need closed toe shoes to match this dress in the color "bluebird". What shoes can I get under $100 that won't look ridiculous. Heels can't be too tall, I'm already 5'8 and don't want to look awkward in wedding photos. I'm vaguely Beyonce colored so nude shoes are usually a problem. I'm between a 9.5-10 depending on the shoe.
Ah the joys of being a bridesmaid - you think you're good after you've booked your travel, helped plan the bachelorette party and shower, and found a dress. But the shoes sneak up on you. The ultimate goal for all bridesmaids should be to find shoes that will be both comfortable AND reusable. But, I think the first priority should be comfort because DAYUM you stand a lot during the day of the wedding as a bridesmaid. Okay - so for those playing along at home, this is the dress that the lovely Sam-Antha (that is how she submitted her name so that's what I'm sticking with) is wearing.
I have to say, overall I like it - though does it have a big bow on the back? It doesn't show up in the back view but I can't figure out what the model is showing off here. Anyway - that's neither here nor there. So my read of this color is basically a light bluish, purplish, grayish mix. I think it will look lovely on someone of your skin tone. As for shoes, I think the most obvious choice is to go for pewter or silver - it will match the dress and be unlikely to clash with anything anyone else is wearing. Other colors that are a bit more aggressive but that I think would look lovely are a true eggplant, a dark navy, possibly a yellow, or a nice cream (no meant to be nude but just meant to be cream - possibly with some bling.) I'll try to find you options in all of these colors and hopefully you'll like one of them. One color I wouldn't recommend would be black, I think it would be too harsh with this dress, especially if its a summer wedding. Now, on to the recommendations!
Silver and Pewter
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J Renee Women's Emily Pump in grey fabric at shoes.com ($99.95 - These are, to be quite frank, bridesmaid shoes to the max. But there's a reason women buy bridesmaid shoes - they are neutral, they have sparkle, they match everything, and they have a nice thick heel that are comfortable and can stand up to walking outside, inside, and everywhere in between. As bridesmaid pumps go, I like these. The embellishment on the toe box is cute and overall its pretty cute. But if I had to guess, I wouldn't imagine they'd be reused much.)
Corso Como Women's Littleton pumps in silver leather at shoes.com ($84.15 - I wanted to make sure you had at least one classic almond toed pump in the mix here and I thought these might be just the ticket. Honestly, these are so nice you could probably wear them to work or with skinny dark wash jeans to dinner or dates. But I still think they're fancy enough to work with this dress. Corso Como is a nice brand and I think the stacked heel would be comfortable, though I do wish it was a bit larger. Overall - if it was a bit more matte I might be considering buying these for myself.)
Nina Evita pump in silver at Nina Shoes ($39.99 - these also come in a darker, almost black, pewter and gold. They are simple and yet sparkly which is a great feature for bridesmaid shoes, and Nina is basically a bridesmaid/wedding brand (plus $39.99 isn't a terrible price if you never wear them again). Definitely not a bad option that would coordinate nicely with your dress, though it wouldn't make too much of a statement - which I guess is sort of the goal as a bridesmaid.)
Corso Como Women's Littleton pumps in silver leather at shoes.com ($84.15 - I wanted to make sure you had at least one classic almond toed pump in the mix here and I thought these might be just the ticket. Honestly, these are so nice you could probably wear them to work or with skinny dark wash jeans to dinner or dates. But I still think they're fancy enough to work with this dress. Corso Como is a nice brand and I think the stacked heel would be comfortable, though I do wish it was a bit larger. Overall - if it was a bit more matte I might be considering buying these for myself.)
Nina Evita pump in silver at Nina Shoes ($39.99 - these also come in a darker, almost black, pewter and gold. They are simple and yet sparkly which is a great feature for bridesmaid shoes, and Nina is basically a bridesmaid/wedding brand (plus $39.99 isn't a terrible price if you never wear them again). Definitely not a bad option that would coordinate nicely with your dress, though it wouldn't make too much of a statement - which I guess is sort of the goal as a bridesmaid.)
Other Colors and Styles
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rsvp Maren dark purple patent pumps on Zappos ($69.00 these pumps come in both this eggplant AND silver and a lovely teal. The reviews are great and the heel height seems just about right. I actually really like them. I think the dark purple would create a nice contrast between the lighter purple of the dress, but the pewter might be a safer bet. Something to consider at least though.)
Vince Camuto Goldie Pump in champagne at Nordstroms ($88.95 - I love this shoe, especially in the champagne color. I think it would look great as a bridal shoe and I think it would look fabulous as a bridesmaid shoe as well, especially on a woman with a darker skin tone. Its got just the right amount of shine to make it interesting without being crazy. It could definitely be reused. A definite contender, in my book at least.)
Gabriella Rocha Ginger Mary Jane pump in purple patent at Zappos ($65.00 - this shoe actually comes in about a million colors but I can't quite get past the idea that a nice eggplant would look lovely with this dress. And this shoe hits a lot of my buttons - its definitely reusable and it looks like it would be super comfortable since the heel is somewhat wider and stacked. Plus the low heel doesn't look unintentional or like its just accidentally there (like they added a low heel to a shoe that should be high-heeled) but rather like this shoe was always intended to be low-heeled. Overall I really like it. Check it out and the other colors!)
Vince Camuto Goldie Pump in champagne at Nordstroms ($88.95 - I love this shoe, especially in the champagne color. I think it would look great as a bridal shoe and I think it would look fabulous as a bridesmaid shoe as well, especially on a woman with a darker skin tone. Its got just the right amount of shine to make it interesting without being crazy. It could definitely be reused. A definite contender, in my book at least.)
Gabriella Rocha Ginger Mary Jane pump in purple patent at Zappos ($65.00 - this shoe actually comes in about a million colors but I can't quite get past the idea that a nice eggplant would look lovely with this dress. And this shoe hits a lot of my buttons - its definitely reusable and it looks like it would be super comfortable since the heel is somewhat wider and stacked. Plus the low heel doesn't look unintentional or like its just accidentally there (like they added a low heel to a shoe that should be high-heeled) but rather like this shoe was always intended to be low-heeled. Overall I really like it. Check it out and the other colors!)
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Söfft Abbot wedge in copper at Nordstroms ($99.95 - not what I'd normally think of as a bridesmaid shoe, but I really like it and I think a bit of shiny copper would add something to the pale pastel of the dress. Plus a wedge would be super comfortable on the day. This shoe also comes in a dark pewter.)
Vince Camuto Stefania slingbacks in steel at Nordstroms ($88.95 - These are in the "other" category because they are slingbacks and a bit higher (3") than I think you may have been looking for, but they are also gorgeous shoes with excellent reviews so I wanted to throw them out there. Reusability factor is definitely high, though I'd worry a bit about comfort, I'd want a pair of flats in my bag with these ones!)
Adrienne Vittadini Cecilia T-Strap Pump in soft gold at Amazon ($35.45 - okay, so the 3.5" heel is probably higher than you want, but I just got my own pair of these shoes (in black patent) and they are hawt as hell and I am totally in love with them. And if you are going to be a bridesmaid and wear a dress someone else picks for you, you should get to pick shoes that make you look gooooood. And these shoes would totally do it. Seriously, they are awesome and would look totally awesome with that dress and when you are boogying down during the party afterwards. And they are surprisingly comfortable. Anyway - something to consider. You can always take them off for photos, its not like people will see with the floor length dress!)
Vince Camuto Stefania slingbacks in steel at Nordstroms ($88.95 - These are in the "other" category because they are slingbacks and a bit higher (3") than I think you may have been looking for, but they are also gorgeous shoes with excellent reviews so I wanted to throw them out there. Reusability factor is definitely high, though I'd worry a bit about comfort, I'd want a pair of flats in my bag with these ones!)
Adrienne Vittadini Cecilia T-Strap Pump in soft gold at Amazon ($35.45 - okay, so the 3.5" heel is probably higher than you want, but I just got my own pair of these shoes (in black patent) and they are hawt as hell and I am totally in love with them. And if you are going to be a bridesmaid and wear a dress someone else picks for you, you should get to pick shoes that make you look gooooood. And these shoes would totally do it. Seriously, they are awesome and would look totally awesome with that dress and when you are boogying down during the party afterwards. And they are surprisingly comfortable. Anyway - something to consider. You can always take them off for photos, its not like people will see with the floor length dress!)
Okay! So there are some shoe ideas!! I hope one of them sparks your fancy and you end up with an awesome pair of shoes and have a glorious time at your friend's wedding. Check back in and let me know what shoes you end up wearing (even if its none of these).
Readers - have you been a bridesmaid? What sort of shoes did you wear and did you get to pick them? Were they nearly as awesome as these?
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