It’s no secret that I love wearing heels. I’m 5’3″ on a good day and heels make me feel elegant and make my legs look longer. The bummer to this is that, no matter how hard I search for comfortable heels, wedding days are long and wearing heels the entire day is not feasible.

I start out the day in heels (or wedges). I want to get going with my best foot forward, full pun intended, and then switch to something more comfortable later on.

A few things I’ve learned along the way:

1. If I’m shooting outside in grass, rocks, uneven spaces, etcetera, wedges are better. Heels will sink into grass, tip over in rocks, and be a distraction, not to mention a safety hazard. It’s not always possible to know what the surroundings will be like, in which case, I slip into my backup shoes (see number 2).
2. I always take along a pair of flats to switch at some point. Most of the time, I’ll swap into flats right before the ceremony begins.
3. I usually wear dresses or skirts (see clothing post here), but if I’m wearing pants, it’s important to remember that heels-to-flats won’t work because of the length of the pants. I either have to do heels/wedges all day or flats all day, depending on what length my pants are hemmed. Think this through beforehand. When you’re in the midst of the reception and exhausted beyond belief, you won’t care what your appearance is, but you’ll later on be thankful you remained professional at all times. Properly hemmed pants should be thought through before the exhaustion sets in.
4. I like to stick with nude-colored shoes as much as possible because they go with everything: black, navy, bold colors, pastels, etc. (Take note from Kate Middleton on this one.) But if not nude, black is a good go-to. I love my bold-colored shoes and sandals, but they just aren’t practical for wedding season, especially since I typically spend more on a pair of shoes that I will work in. I am paying for comfort, sensibility, longevity, real leather (for breathability), and style…and usually those (especially comfort & leather) come with a higher price tag.
5. Speaking of real leather… Something to think about when purchasing shoes is whether they are real leather. Real leather will adjust to your foot and wear better. Also, sweaty feet won’t be as much of an issue. Real leather breathes better and is more durable.
6. My rule of thumb with any heel/wedge is to look for a platform, whether hidden or not. It helps make the overall height less stressful on your foot. And always stock your camera bag with a backup pair of flats.

These are some shoes that I’m loving right now.

Rockport Janae Pumps in Nude / Frye Regina Ballet Flats in Black / Tieks in Camel / KORS Michael Kors Cassie Suede Rubber Wedges in Black

Rockport Janae Pump: I have a pair of BCBGeneration Tinas2 in nude and I adore them. (Side note: I also have the same shoes in black patent and they are NOT comfortable. Lesson learned: the leather, not necessarily the style, will dictate if a shoe is comfortable.) They have been my go-to heels for two years; as in, I have worn them probably 580 days out of the last 730. Because I’ve worn them so much, they are desperately in need of being replaced, but when I went searching last fall, I couldn’t find the exact match anymore. There are similar ones, but not the exact non-patent nude color that I currently have. The closest match for color, comfort, and style is the Rockport Janae pump (shown above). They are slightly taller than the Tinas2 and have a bigger platform, but they are really comfortable! (The secret?: they are made with Adidas shock-absorbing technology.)

Sizing: they seem to run small. I’m normally a size 6.5, but had to return them for a 7. Those are still on the tight side and I had to take them to the store to get them stretched. I know once I wear them enough, they’ll form to my foot, but right now, they’re still a little too tight for amazing comfort. (In this case, when breaking in shoes, wear them in small stretches–two hours at a time or so.)

Frye Regina Ballet Flat: My current backup pair of flats are the Frye Regina Ballet Flats in black. Again, sizing has been a little tricky. I ordered up a half size for these (a 7), which slipped right off my foot. The 6.5 size, however, was tight. In the end, I chose to go with the 6.5 knowing it will stretch to my foot with wear. As most good shoes are, these are an investment, but for comfortable feet on a wedding day, they’re worth their weight in gold…which actually isn’t a lot because, bonus, they’re really lightweight shoes!

Tieks Ballet Flats: Admittedly, I haven’t yet splurged on the Tieks, but they are on my list because I have heard and read great reviews on their all-day comfort. I’m itching for a coupon code before I make the purchase. Once I find one, I’ll update you on my opinion of their comfort, but I truly have high hopes for these puppies.

Michael Kors Cassie Wedge: This one is a tricky one. It has every element I look for in a pair of comfortable shoes, but I have not been able to find these. I believe they’ve been discontinued based on my research. Instead, I had to purchase the Jessica Simpson Kellie Wedge. Mine are black, but I’m loving the light brown/camel color! I put some Dr. Scholl’s shoe inserts in and I can certainly last most of a wedding day in these, particularly because they are not very tall, only about 3 inches. That being said, they do not have a platform so it’s true heel-height of 3 inches. These are the most comfortable wedges I currently own.

Above all, wear your shoes before a wedding day! Get them adjusted to your feet, sweat in them, walk around for a day in them, wear them. This rule applies to wearing heels OR flats.

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To address the hot topic of Toms shoes: I know lots of photographers swear by these shoes because they are comfortable and breathable. If they fit with your brand, then go for it. I don’t wear them to weddings because, for me, they don’t fit with my brand and my style. I love Toms for regular occasions, I just don’t wear them for weddings for personal reasons. Carry on though if they work for you!

Addendum: while I do not have personal experience with the following shoes, I have heard great reviews on them from other photographers.

• Cole Haan Air Tali Wedges (Cole Haan Air series incorporates Nike technology for great support and comfortable heels.)
• Me Too Kaden Ballet Flat
• Attilio Giusti Leombruni Toe Cap Ballet Flat
• Tory Burch flats (hard to break in, but once they are broken in, they are apparently SO comfy)

Chime in! I want to know what YOUR favorite shoes are!