Attire & Accessories Forum

Sneakers vs. Heels

So I'm sure that tons of people ask/think about this issue.  So I love converse sneakers and I would love to wear them because then I know that my feet would be comfortable all day. On the other hand, I also love heels and I know that they do a lot for your posture and how you hold yourself. Thinking of these things makes me very conflicted. And I know that ultimately it will be my decision becasuse its my day and I can wear whatever I like, but I thought getting some other opinions my help.

Re: Sneakers vs. Heels

  • I saw no to sneakers. I get that they're cute and whatever, but I'm sorry, converse do NOT go with what will probably be the most formal gown you will ever wear in your life. I just can't imagine feeling formal and beautiful and bridal while wearing converse.

    What about doing some heels and changing into some more comfortable flats or wedges for the reception?
    image
  • My concern with changing shoes is that my dress won't be the proper length for one of the pair of shoes. I don't my dress to get mussed if it's lengthed for heels and I don't want it to be too short if it was hemmed for the flats.
  • I'm wearing boots. I found some gorgeous navy blue boots online and I bought them. I've worn them a few times and they are so comfortable. They have heels. I'm getting married in December, so I see nothing wrong with getting married in some cute boots.
  • PDKH said:
    I saw no to sneakers. I get that they're cute and whatever, but I'm sorry, converse do NOT go with what will probably be the most formal gown you will ever wear in your life. I just can't imagine feeling formal and beautiful and bridal while wearing converse.

    What about doing some heels and changing into some more comfortable flats or wedges for the reception?
    This exactly. I feel like it might be cute in 2013, but when you look back in 20 years, will you really love that you wore sneakers to your wedding?
  • Yes, I think I would. The style thing isn't really the issue for me. Even with cute flats, I think about the comfort of flat shoes vs. the posture boost that heels give you.
  • Ser523 it sounds like you are going to do what you want no matter what the other ladies say, so why even ask?
  • No, just everyone is focused on the style choice of sneakers. What I wanted to know was more concerning flats, any flats sneakers or otherwise, and heels. Because I know that flats are comfortable but heels are supposed to make you stand up straighter and all that. 
  • You can stand and walk nicely regardless of your shoe choice. I'd skip the sneakers but if you feel more comfortable wear some nice flats. Or maybe wedges. That could be a sort of hybrid solution.

    You are right, you can wear what you want. Personally I love heels and sneakers but will definitly opt for heels for my wedding and possibly flats for the dancing part of the evening. I just wouldnt feel pretty and bridey with Converses on.
  • I was debating on getting flats and I ultimately decided against it. I always feel more dressed up and fancy in heels and that was the feeling I wanted on my wedding day. 
    image
  • Can you compromise and get some comfortable wedges and/or a low heel? It sounds like you're worried that with sneakers or flats, your posture will be bad and with heels you'll be uncomfortable. If you have a long dress, your shoes won't show much anyway so keep that in mind. Here are a few various options that I think provide a good compromise:

    *********************************************************************************

    image
  • It's not even a question for me. I'm short and I need the height!! I will most likely have a pair of flats on hand for later on though. 
  • I had a pair of heels that I wore for the ceremony and some pictures.  I know me and my feet cannot handle heels for a long length of time.  What I did was found a pair of comfy wedged flip flops that were the same height as my heels so that my feet were happy but my dress wasn't dragging.

    But if you are going to wear flats then nix the sneakers and get a pretty pair of flats.

  • My concern with changing shoes is that my dress won't be the proper length for one of the pair of shoes. I don't my dress to get mussed if it's lengthed for heels and I don't want it to be too short if it was hemmed for the flats.
    I sprained my ankle a few weeks before my wedding (after my dress had already been hemmed for 3.5" heels). I wore the heels for the ceremony and pictures, then changed into ballet flats for the evening. The dress didn't drag as badly as I thought it would and only got stepped on once. It seems like a big deal to change into flats, but it really was a non-issue.
  • ser523 said:
    My concern with changing shoes is that my dress won't be the proper length for one of the pair of shoes. I don't my dress to get mussed if it's lengthed for heels and I don't want it to be too short if it was hemmed for the flats.


    This was a big issue for me. I didnt consider the different hem lengths between my 4 inch heels and flip flops. So right after I changed out of my heels, H stepped on my dress and put a big hole in it. Can you wear some pretty flats?

    I agree with others that cowboys boots and converse dont go with formal wear.

    BabyFruit Ticker
  • I like the heeled boots idea.  I have a couple pairs of dressy heeled boots that I wear regularly for work and they are SUPER comfortable.  Actually, my favorite pair I found at Goodwill for $5.  They have 3" heels and I can wear them all day without any problem whatsoever.  So, I think that may be a good compromise for you.

    I was also concerned about the comfort of my wedding shoes. The thinking I came to was that I'm spending hundreds of dollars on a dress I'll only wear once, so why go cheap on shoes that will have more effect on my comfort & mood that day than the dress will?  Plus, if I get the right shoes, I can wear them again, making even more sense financially.  So, I decided to splurge a bit on my shoes and found some comfortable heels.  I had always heard that certain designer heels can be really comfortable, so I did some research on comfy heels.  There are some very comfortable designer heels.  Jimmy Choo came up on the top of the list for every site I found.  And I found to stay as far away from Christian Louboutin as possible.  I found a pair of Jimmy Choo's that I really liked, but although I was willing to spend more on the shoes, I couldn't justify spending $800 on the shoes.  Although, it does go along with my logic that it makes more sense to spend more on the shoes than the dress since you can wear them more than once, but that much just is not in the budget and seems a bit overkill.  But you can find a lot of really nice used Jimmy Choo's though, some that are perfect for wedding.  I found a pair I really liked (blue snakeskin) that would also go perfect with blue jeans or nice slacks for work.  But they are a current style, so I couldn't find them used or marked down.  But, while perusing the designer outlets stores I found a $500 pair that was identical to the Jimmy Choo ones I liked, but they were marked down to $180.  My research of the designer told me that they would still be highly comfortable.  So, I bought them.  I've worn them a couple times to break them in and I think I will be very happy with them to wear all day.  So, if comfort is your big concern, you may want to also consider finding some higher quality heels that will be more comfortable.  Definitely check outlet stores because they have some awesome deals for them.

    image 

  • I had heels for pictures and the ceremony, then changed into wedge flip flops. I was concerned too about the height difference, but my seamstress put a front bustle in my dress so I was able to wear the shorter shoes. This may not be feasable for all gowns (I had a full ballgown with pick-ups) but it worked very well for me. Just another option to consider.
  • JoanE2012JoanE2012 member
    5000 Comments 500 Love Its Fourth Anniversary 5 Answers
    edited November 2013
    ser523 said:
    So I'm sure that tons of people ask/think about this issue.  So I love converse sneakers and I would love to wear them because then I know that my feet would be comfortable all day. On the other hand, I also love heels and I know that they do a lot for your posture and how you hold yourself. Thinking of these things makes me very conflicted. And I know that ultimately it will be my decision becasuse its my day and I can wear whatever I like, but I thought getting some other opinions my help.
    Considering my wedding dress was the most expensive and beautiful thing I'd ever wear in my entire life, there was no way in hell I'd cheapen that look with sneakers. I wore 2.5" heels all night.

    Not to mention, you're a grown adult getting married.  Wear appropriate grown up shoes.  If heels aren't you're thing, find some cute flats.  There are plenty of options to be comfortable other than sneakers.



  • nicoann said:

    I like the heeled boots idea.  I have a couple pairs of dressy heeled boots that I wear regularly for work and they are SUPER comfortable.  Actually, my favorite pair I found at Goodwill for $5.  They have 3" heels and I can wear them all day without any problem whatsoever.  So, I think that may be a good compromise for you.


    I was also concerned about the comfort of my wedding shoes. The thinking I came to was that I'm spending hundreds of dollars on a dress I'll only wear once, so why go cheap on shoes that will have more effect on my comfort & mood that day than the dress will?  Plus, if I get the right shoes, I can wear them again, making even more sense financially.  So, I decided to splurge a bit on my shoes and found some comfortable heels.  I had always heard that certain designer heels can be really comfortable, so I did some research on comfy heels.  There are some very comfortable designer heels.  Jimmy Choo came up on the top of the list for every site I found.  And I found to stay as far away from Christian Louboutin as possible.  I found a pair of Jimmy Choo's that I really liked, but although I was willing to spend more on the shoes, I couldn't justify spending $800 on the shoes.  Although, it does go along with my logic that it makes more sense to spend more on the shoes than the dress since you can wear them more than once, but that much just is not in the budget and seems a bit overkill.  But you can find a lot of really nice used Jimmy Choo's though, some that are perfect for wedding.  I found a pair I really liked (blue snakeskin) that would also go perfect with blue jeans or nice slacks for work.  But they are a current style, so I couldn't find them used or marked down.  But, while perusing the designer outlets stores I found a $500 pair that was identical to the Jimmy Choo ones I liked, but they were marked down to $180.  My research of the designer told me that they would still be highly comfortable.  So, I bought them.  I've worn them a couple times to break them in and I think I will be very happy with them to wear all day.  So, if comfort is your big concern, you may want to also consider finding some higher quality heels that will be more comfortable.  Definitely check outlet stores because they have some awesome deals for them.
    I like this thinking. shoes really can be reworn so spending a good bit of money on them seems reasonable. I can't spend that much but a nice pair of discounted Cole Haans might be a good option.

  • I had heels for pictures and the ceremony, then changed into wedge flip flops. I was concerned too about the height difference, but my seamstress put a front bustle in my dress so I was able to wear the shorter shoes. This may not be feasable for all gowns (I had a full ballgown with pick-ups) but it worked very well for me. Just another option to consider.
    Front Bustle?!? I have never heard of such a thing. I also wore a big ball gown and wish I had known about this.
    BabyFruit Ticker
  • Cole Haan were also very high on the comfort lists I found during my online searching.  And they make them with Nike Air technology!  I did find some great deals on Cole Haan both online and at outlet stores (luckily I have a large selection of designer outlet stores in Phoenix area), but I just didn't find any that called out to me.

    image 

  • MMK123MMK123 member
    First Comment
    edited November 2013
    So I wore my heels for the ceremony and then changed into my silver glitter Converse for the reception. Yes, it was a 4 inch difference in skirt length but the bustle helped. Plus, after the ceremony, frankly, I wanted to dance and didn't care if a little bit of my dress was on the floor. :) My dress was dirty from taking pictures after the ceremony anyway. You can also get platform sneakers or I was told that shoe repair places can make your sneakers "platform" sneakers. Converse also does made to order sneakers on their website. Edit: Since you're going from a higher to lower heel, no one is going to see your shoes anyway, so be comfortable! I almost forgot I had them on during the reception because you can't see them at all!
  • You can add a lift kit to your sneaker as well if you go with that option! I would go with heels for the ceremony and photos and beginning of reception, and change into converse mid reception. The bustle will 100% help with that - especially if you discuss this with your alterations team!
  • I love the idea of wearing converse me and my fiancé have decided to wear them.... we feel it gives our wedding some personality, always remember it's YOUR DAY!
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