Weddingbee Blog

Early in the planning process, my mind was made up about one thing - I was to be a colored-shoe bride (Cheeseburger Mom and Cheeseburger Mom-in-Law actually took this much better than I thought they would!).

While, in general, I would like for our day to be as timeless as possible, give me any excuse to buy a killer pair of purple shoes, and I’m in! And so the search for the perfect shade of purple shoes began.

Endless, Zappos, and Amazon were go-to sites for me. My criteria included: as close to “our” deep purple color as possible, satin, height (as I am vertically-challenged and accustomed to wearing some major heels), peep toe, and sturdiness (remember that we are getting married in March in PA - as in it could be snowing or a swamp). Phew! That sounds pretty specific, huh? I actually came up with a lot of options to choose from:

Clockwise from top left:
Nina $70 - Endless, Nina $90 - Zappos
RSVP $74 - Zappos, Giuseppi Zanotti $274 - Endless

But these options were a little too blue for my taste, though they seemed to meet all of the other criteria!

The search continued, and I found a few options that were getting closer to “our” purple:

Clockwise from top left:
Chinese Laundry $53 - Endless, Maxstudio $159 - Zappos,
Pura Lopez $329 - Endless, Ralph Lauren $245 - Endless

I was drooling over the Pura Lopez, but $329 was wayyyy too much - but the color was almost RIGHT ON. Hmm, now what?

Oh Amazon, you never fail me. I found these two beauties on their site, and quickly added them to my cart - I knew that they deserved an in-person fitting.

Nine West - Jiopa $79: Amazon
(they sold out in this color almost immediately after I purchased them!)

Boutique 9 - Udell $135: Amazon

(the color in real life is much closer to that of the Jiopa above)

I was so excited when they finally arrived, and I couldn’t wait to get them on my feet!

The Jiopas were up first - very lovely on first inspection. They were a bit tight, and they were strangling my pinky toes :(. Also, they were the type of heels that allowed for a lot of ankle wobbling. Hmm - picturing myself walking around in snow or rain and spraining my ankle wasn’t exactly what I had envisioned for our  wedding day. Strike 1. Yikes, now I was nervous - would the Boutique 9s work out?

Originally, I didn’t like the look of them. Actually, I hated them. They were definitely sturdy, though - my ankles were going nowhere in them. But they seemed so boxy when compared to the dainty Jiopas. The Udell’s color was a little closer, and the fit was better, but for some reason they didn’t seem whimsical enough to be wedding shoes (as I type this I realize how ridiculous of a thought that is - oh, the joys of bride brain :).

Sigh. Now what? I had spent hours scouring the internet for the perfect purple pumps, purchased the best two pairs, and I still had naked wedding feet. I boxed up the shoes and put them on the shelf.

Life got busy, and a few months went by. One day, while not studying for one of my exams, I pulled the shoes back out. Jiopas first. Still so wobbly. Darn. Then the Boutique 9s - something had changed. They. Looked. Magical. Comfortable, classy, gorgeous, PURPLE shoes. I felt happiness, relief, and joy (!) when I realized that I had found my first bridal accessory!

Who knew that a second look could be so important?

How did your search for the perfect wedding shoe turn out?