Weddingbee Blog

Yes, I did just make a rhyming title. Only for you, my friends.

Can I just say, I LOVED hearing about your favorites from the Zappos tryouts? It was fascinating to see what the crowd favorites were. Here is the breakdown that I promised:

This was the frontrunner in your comments, and it was the first pair that I thought would work perfectly. They were red and had a little shine to them, so they weren’t just your run-of-the-mill red pumps. And there was that adorable stitching on the footbed that was oh so cute. This pair was so good on paper—it had all the qualifications I was looking for. But then I put my foot in one and it was like she BIT me. The edges scraped against my foot as I put it in, and my toes were crunched together. You guys, I was SO sad. But I had ordered other shoes, just in case, so it was time to try ’em on…

These were HOT. I had never seen a red so rich in a shoe. They were relatively plain, but the color definitely made up for it. I was shocked at how stable the heel was. I set these aside while I tried on the others, but I was almost positive that this was it. So I held on to them for about a month.

A few times during that month, I put them on and walked across the room. I had to be sure that they were comfortable, especially at this price. Toward the end of the month, they started falling off my feet. They had somehow stretched out to the point where I couldn’t keep them on, and I hadn’t even worn them a total of five minutes altogether! My heart fell, and they were sent back.

I ordered these because they came in red, but that color was out of stock when I placed the order. I thought I’d try these out and see how they fit. If they were good, I would wait for the red ones to come back in stock. They turned out to be comfortable but extremely high. The website lists them as 4.5″ high, but they felt even higher. I also wasn’t able to find my size, so this was pretty much a dead end for me. I’m glad I didn’t wait for them because it doesn’t seem like red is going to come back for this style. If you can wear really high heels, I would still definitely recommend this pair.

So many brides out there are rocking the Badgley Mischka Randalls (such as Mrs. Barrettes), and it’s no wonder. The layered rose is so pretty, and the fabric on these shoes is so rich—I wanted this pair to work out!! Dark red is still red, right? The fit was comfortable even though the platform was smaller than I was looking for. But when I opened the box, the color was even darker than this photo on the website and, since our reception is in the evening, these shoes will look almost black. And in the dark, that lovely layered rose looks like a big fuzzy ball. I’d still recommend this gorgeous pair, but they just weren’t right for me.

These were by far the most comfortable. I was starting to get a little desperate for red shoes, so I went with a shorter heel to open up my options. These were cute, and I could run laps in them they were so comfy. But when I looked in the mirror, they just looked chunky. I have a heavier ankle and a tiny foot—not a great combo for this shoe. And while these were the most affordable out of all my options, I’d probably never wear them again. On to the next!

They looked a little more fashion forward so I thought I’d try them, but the straps cut into my foot, there was no stability, and the craftsmanship (like one commenter mentioned) was shoddy. The feathers were smooshed, and I couldn’t get them to stand up again. Badgley Mischka hadn’t let me down at all with the other shoes, and I couldn’t understand why this pair was so bad!

Again, in desperation, I started looking at other shoe colors. I wasn’t having any luck with red. So I reached out to this affordable, elegant, navy blue shoe and, while they walked comfortably, the top of the bow cut into my foot. If, unlike me, you can take a little pain, these are REALLY gorgeous on.

I ordered this pair against my instincts—I suspected they wouldn’t look wedding appropriate, and I was right. But homies, if I were going to a club and needed a go-to pair of sexy shoes that were full of cushioning and totally comfortable, these would be IT.

When I think about a “wedding shoe,” this is exactly what I picture. Sheer, elegant, incredible craftsmanship, embroidery, glitz. I wanted these to work out so badly! But I could feel the ground on the ball of my foot with every step—I wasn’t going to be able to stand in these for even just a few minutes.

This was the prettiest little shoe around but didn’t work at all IRL. The delicately pleated tulle looked beautiful on the shoe but just didn’t look right with a foot inside of it. It accentuated the splits between each toe, which was a little odd. Beyond that, though, I ran into the same problem that I had with the Oakes—not enough support under the balls of my feet.

These shoes were just glamorous. They fit the bill exactly—the right height, a platform, and a stable heel. Even though I had the “gold” version, it glittered with silver as well, which made it versatile. That was a huge plus since I wanted to be able to wear these again. The man-made upper eliminated the possibility of stretching out, so I didn’t need to worry about that. This was it!

After my Platswoon disappointment, I thought that I wouldn’t find another pair of classic pumps that could compete with that deep, glossy red. And then Corso Como came out with these, and my size was promptly sold out. Even though I already had my Humbies, I stalked the listing until it came back and I snatched them up. They’re full of cushiony pillows, and I could see myself wearing them outside of the wedding.

After I figured out which shoes I wanted to keep, I decided it was time for a little photo shoot with the winners. Gratuitous, I know, but I love me some shoes.

Did you end up being a two-shoe bride?

All photos, except the last two, from Zappos