Best Bridal Pumps
Christian Louboutin Goya Ruban 80 Pleated Tulle Pumps
Best Sating Wedding Pumps
- Sizes: 3.5-12
- Colors/Finishes: blush and black; chiffon, satin and beige tulle
Christian Louboutin’s Goya Ruban pumps are worthy of a glamorous wedding or any elegant event, for that matter. Inspired by the sophistication of Spain’s annual film awards, the Goyas are designed with an elegant pointed-toe silhouette and three-inch heel. They combine elegant chiffon, satin and beige hand-pleated tulle and feature long satin ties that wrap several times around your ankle to finish off your lady-like wedding look.
Malone Soulier Marion Pumps
Best Lace Slingback Bridal Pumps
- Sustainable, zero-waste approach
- Colors/Finishes: white lace, black with gold leather, white with gold leather and nude leather
- Sizes: 5-12
Malone Soulier is known for making shoes that challenge tradition, with the Marion pumps being no exception. Like the rest of the brand’s offerings, these sculptural slingbacks are made with a zero-waste approach and are handmade in Italy with fine leathers. Complete with a 3.3-inch heel, they’re the perfect addition to any wedding look.
Mach & Mach Double Bow Crystal-Embellished Silk-Satin Point-Toe Pumps
Best Crystal-Embellished Bridal Pumps
- Sizes: 5-12
- Colors/Finishes: white, pink, black, turquoise and fuchsia; also available in satin.
Mach & Mach has a way of creating shoes that are dreamy beyond words. These four-inch heeled beauties will elevate every look and are extremely photogenic. They’re made from silk-satin and adorned with signature crystal bows that make them extremely identifiable, especially from across the dance floor. “If I had to call out a specific trend for 2022, it would be the Mach & Mach embellished heels,” Choi says.
Neous Irena Lace-Trimmed Crepe de Chine Slingback Pumps
Best Kitten Heel Wedding Pumps
- Sizes: 5-11, including half sizes
- Colors/Finishes: white, crepe de chine
There’s a reason Neous’ spin on the kitten heel is as sleek and modern as one might expect from the timeless brand. Made in Italy from leather-backed crepe de chine and trimmed with an elegant, scalloped lace, these are perfect to wear on your wedding day with a long gown or tailored suit.
Best Wedding Flats
Altuzarra Knot Mules
Best Bridal Slides
- Sizes: 5-10
- Colors/Finishes: white leather and bordeaux satin
Altuzarra’s elegant double-knot slides are great for those looking for something without a heel. Their narrow square toe helps gives the illusion of elongating the leg without any extra height from a heel. The stunning Enoki-white colorway will pair beautifully with a flowy long gown, pantsuit or a shorter knee length skirt-suit. These mules are timeless and worth investing in.
Aquazzura Ayda Flats
Best Metallic Bridal Flats
- Sizes: 4-11
- Colors/Finishes: silver
These metallic snake-printed ballet flats by Aquazzura are great for nontraditional brides seeking something classic with a daring twist. Produced in a shimmery silver finish with cutouts, the style shows pops of skin. It also has a subtle square toe and high-shine, barely-there heel for that extra ounce of sparkle.
Le Monde Beryl Satin Mary Jane Ballet Flats
Best Bridal Mary Jane Flats
- Sizes: 5.5-11.5, including half sizes
- Colors/Finishes: lime green, blue, red, yellow, and ivory silk-satin
Crafted from the brand’s signature silk-satin and leather, Le Monde Beryl Mary Jane ballet flats conjure a timeless sense of elegance. Handmade by Venetian artisans, these come with a leather sole, lining and insole and a buckled strap for a secure fit. These are fitting for all indoor and outdoor weddings and mold to your feet for lasting comfort.
Schumacher x Margaux Pointe Cassis Ballet Flats
Most Comfortable Bridal Flats
- Sizes: 3-14, including half sizes
- Width: Comes in narrow to wide-width options
- Colors/Finishes: lime-green, blue, red, yellow, and ivory silk-satin
Margaux combines the perfect marriage of comfort and style with its shoes that can literally be worn everywhere. The label’s ethos revolves around inclusivity, with extended sizes and three widths offered for every silhouette. Some of the best wedding shoes for wide feet, the Schumacher x Margaux Pointe Cassis collaboration is sleek and has a slightly tapered toe to elongate the foot without pinching any toes. Handmade in Spain, these also include five millimeters of foam for a bit extra cushion.
Roger Vivier Viv Rangers Patent Leather Loafers
Best Bridal Loafers
- Sizes: 4-12, including half sizes
- Colors/Finishes: white patent leather, crystal brass buckle trim
These Roger Vivier loafers create a balance between feminine and masculine flair. Perfect for brides looking for something not traditional, these are handmade in Italy from white patent leather and topped with the fashion house’s signature grosgrain-backed rhinestone buckle. They also have an elevated rubber sole to help prepare you for any elements on your wedding day. These will look fabulous paired with a flowy gown or pantsuit.
Best Heeled Bridal Mules
Manolo Blahnik Maysale Crystal Buckle Pointed Toe Mules
Best Kitten Heel Bridal Mules
- Sizes: 5.5-11, including half sizes
- Colors/Finishes: cream satin, crystal buckle trim
These iconic kitten-heeled mules from Manolo Blahnik originally made their runway debut in the ’90s, but their creamy silk colorway and crystal buckle embellishment make them timeless. Complete with a petite two-inch heel and pointed toe, these will transform your wedding look ten-fold. They’re great for a black tie wedding as well as a casual wedding, no matter the season.
Prada Logo Pointed Toe Mules
Best Logoed Bridal Mules
- Sizes: 5.5-11, including half sizes
- Colors/Finishes: mint green Saffiano leather
Prada’s mint green logo mules offer the pop of color every bride should consider. They’re a testament to Prada’s constant innovation as well as its high-quality craftsmanship and style. Elegant and fashion-forward, these have a two-inch heel and bold, loafer-inspired accent, making them a match for brides looking to finish off a flowy ankle-length dress. These run slightly small, so we recommend ordering a half size up.
Jimmy Choo Avri Pointed-Toe Mules
Best Lace Bridal Mules
- Sizes: 4-13, including half sizes
- Colors/Finishes: silvery leather trim and sheer tule
Jimmy Choo’s elegant Avri heels are a quintessential mix of elegance and fabulousness. Adorned with a 3.5-inch heel, these shoes are crafted in Italy and come with a fabric top and leather lining and insole that form to your feet seamlessly. These will look incredible with your bridal ballgown.
Best Heeled Bridal Sandals
Aquazzura Galactic Flower Sandals 95
Best Embellished Heeled Bridal Sandals
- Sizes: 5-11.5, including half sizes
- Colors/Finishes: silvery cool mint, rose metallic, and white leather
Aquazzura’s crystal-embellished Galactic flower sandals are perfect for a city wedding. Featuring layered crystal flowers and a 3.75-inch heel, these will look great on your wedding day with tailored suiting or a floor length gown.
Inez Sasha Crinkled Leather Sandals
Most Comfortable Bridal Sandals
- Sizes: 6-10.5, including half sizes
- Width: Comes in narrow to wide-width options
- Colors/Finishes: camel suede, silver crinkled metallic leather, black embossed lizard print leather
Inez’s silver crinkled metallic leather sandals have parallel straps to secure the foot while providing a barely-there look. The elongated block heel is 3.5 inches tall and crafted from luxe Spanish leather complete. For ultimate comfort, these also boast a plush, custom-designed insole that provides arch support and adjustable buckle closure. The leather sole has a rubber insert for grip so you can shake and shimmy on the dance floor all night.
Best Block Heel Wedding Shoes
Sarah Flint Wedding Perfect Block Sandals 60
Best Classic Block Heel Wedding Shoes
- Sizes: 4-13, including half sizes
- Colors/Finishes: white water-resistant satin
“I recommend a block heel for walking down the aisle,” Choi says. “Everyone’s eyes are on you, and you want to be able to really strut down that aisle!” Sarah Flint’s Perfect block heel is a great choice and certainly lives up to its name. Handcrafted in Italy’s Amalfi Coast with a water-resistant satin upper and scalloped lace trim, this shoe offers great comfort and style — making it perfect for the ceremony and every event during the bride’s busy wedding weekend.
Margaux City Sandals
Best “Something Blue” Block Heel Wedding Shoes
- Sizes: 3-15, including half sizes
- Width: Comes in narrow to wide width options
- Colors/Finishes: powder blue satin
Margaux’s City sandals in Powder Satin are the must-have “something blue” for every bride. These have a 2.5-inch heel and 5 millimeters of plush foam padding to cradle the foot. Handmade in Spain, these are also customizable and can be crafted to include your initials or wedding date. Brides love these for their incredible comfort and chic look that can complement any wedding attire.
Erijunor Bow Mary Jane Block Heels
Best Wedding Shoes With a Low Heel
- Sizes: 6-11
- Colors/Finishes: navy, champagne, plum, silver, teal and fushia satin
Elegant yet unexpected, Erijunor’s navy Mary Jane block heels are a stellar pair of non-traditional wedding shoes and a steal at just under $50. They have a structured bow that will look great with tailored suiting or any length gown and a sturdy 1.5-inch block heel that will give support on uneven surfaces. These are also great for any event after the big day, so we recommend investing in all colorways. “I give these five our five stars,” says one of Choi’s clients who purchased the navy colorway. “Simple, elegant and the most comfortable dress shoe I have ever worn!”
The different types of wedding shoes
Sandals: Sandals are a style that you can really have a lot of fun with on your wedding day. They come in many colors (think shades of white, ivory, nude, silver and more) and textures. If you have a shorter dress, play with embellishments, and if your wedding is outdoors, always opt for a thicker heel to ground your feet on the uneven pavement. If your wedding is indoors or on hard flooring and you’re feeling adventurous, try a skinner heel.
Mules: Mules are an easy option for weddings taking place in all seasons, especially those warmer months. They come in flat or heeled styles and give an elegant spin to any dresses of any length. They also look incredible with tailored suiting. “There are some women who are self-conscious about their ankles so will prefer mules over something with ankle straps, Choi says. “These will never cut off your ankle in odd places, elongating the leg by default, which is a huge advantage.”
Block Heels: These are the best outdoor and beach wedding shoes, as they won’t sink into the ground. “I’ve been getting a lot of requests for block heels for all of the outdoor weddings where brides have to walk on grass, sand or dirt,” Choi says. “Loeffler Randall makes great wedding shoes, price-point wise and also comfort-wise. I love the brand’s new Reed heel sans the signature bow, which feels super elevated to me. Margaux also has some great season-less options. The Uptown sandal is the perfect height and super comfortable.” You don’t want to be the bride with her stiletto heels digging into the dirt. Those heel protectors also look so obvious!
Flats: These are great for brides who don’t want to go the classic heel route. Flats are ideal for every wedding location and come in an array of colors and materials including lace, satin, velvet and embellished finishes. It’s important to look for styles with soft material that molds to your foot for maximum comfort.
Wedges: When thinking about weddings on the grass this season, “I love the idea of playing with color or a subtle floral print here to lean into the setting or doing a minimal raffia wedge like Raye’s Bikini wedge, which you’ll be able to wear well beyond the wedding weekend,” Choi says. “Opt for something a bit more casual like Kate Brien did with her Celine espadrilles. I also love these Rene Caovilla’s Diana sandals for that goddess-like effect.”
Pumps: The traditional bride will often lean towards this style, which comes in classic colors such as metallics, pastels and classic black and white. These are perfect for a city wedding. “You can really have a major shoe moment with pumps by pulling out a Mach Mach style, Manolo Blahnik’s Hangisis or pearl-adorned Jimmy Choo’s to make a statement,” Choi says. Alternatively, pumps are also great for a mountain wedding. “Try something blue for a desert mountain wedding, so your white shoes don’t get totally trashed in the desert sand,” Choi continues. If you’re planning a lush Aspen ceremony, Choi recommends a closed-toe wedding shoe, like Manolo’s Carolyne slingbacks, as mountain weather can be unpredictable and even cold in the summer months.
Meet the Author
Elana Zajdman is an editor, writer, stylist and brand consultant living in New York City. She previously was the senior accessories and jewelry editor of InStyle magazine for six years, where she became an expert on the latest footwear trends by testing and reviewing shoes across a wide range of categories from athletic to party shoes. Prior to her role at InStyle, she reviewed bridal trends across the accessories spectrum for Marie Claire.
Meet the Experts
Anny Choi is the head stylist for Over The Moon, a leading destination for modern, stylish wedding inspiration. Founded by Alexandra Macon in 2015, the site includes a bridal registry, styling services and an online shop of curated merchandise you won’t see anywhere else. It’s focused on “forever” pieces you’ll cherish for years to come, including pieces like special edition Lingua Franca cashmere pullovers and gorgeous Briony Raymond initial pendants.
Tiffany Hsu is the vice president of fashion buying for womenswear and kidswear at MyTheresa.com. She joined the team in 2015. She has grown the bridal category at Mytheresa exponentially. Before Mytheresa she held buying positions at Lane Crawford and Selfridges and is an authority on all things fashion and accessories.