Every bridesmaid has seen it happen. The group photos on the lawn have run past the hour, the reception has barely started, and under the table the shoes begin to come off. It does not have to go that way. The best bridesmaid shoes suit the ground at the venue, sit in one agreed colour family with the rest of the party, and are comfortable enough to stand in, still, through the whole ceremony. For most weddings that means a detailed flat, or a block heel with a strap. Here is how to choose, and how to wear them well.
More wedding shoe guides: our civil ceremony wedding shoes guide and our winery wedding guest shoes guide.
In this article
- What shoes should bridesmaids wear? Start with the venue
- A bridesmaid's day, hour by hour
- How to choose comfortable bridesmaid shoes
- Neutral bridesmaid shoes and matching the palette
- Do bridesmaid shoes have to match?
- Four bridal parties, worked through
- Five mistakes bridal parties make
- A checklist to send the group chat
- Frequently asked questions
- Our bridesmaid edit
What shoes should bridesmaids wear? Start with the venue
Bridesmaid footwear is decided by the ground before it is decided by the dress. Ask the bride where the ceremony and photos will actually happen, then use this table to narrow down wedding shoes for bridesmaids. In Australia, where so many weddings from October to April are held outdoors, the answer is more often a flat than a heel.
| Venue | The ground | What works |
|---|---|---|
| Garden, farm or winery | Lawn, gravel, decking | Flats, or a block heel with a base at least the size of a 20 cent coin |
| Beach or coastal | Sand, boardwalk, grass headland | Flat sandals. Any heel is hard work on sand |
| Church and reception hall | Stone, carpet, timber floors | Block heels with a strap, or detailed flats |
| Evening formal or black tie | Mostly indoor floors | A block heel, or an embellished flat under a floor length gown |
The simple test for any heel: turn it over and hold a 20 cent coin against the base. Smaller than the coin, and it will sink into lawn and catch between deck boards. About the size of the coin or larger, and it will hold on firm ground.
A bridesmaid's day, hour by hour
A bridesmaid is often in her shoes for longer than anyone except the bride. A typical day looks like this:
- Getting ready: 2 to 4 hours, usually barefoot or in slippers. Put your shoes on last.
- The ceremony: 20 to 45 minutes of standing still at the front, facing the guests. This is the hardest part of the day on your feet.
- Photos: 45 to 90 minutes, often on grass, steps or a beach, with a lot of standing and waiting between shots.
- Reception: 5 hours or more of walking, sitting, speeches and the dance floor.
Standing still is harder than walking. When you walk, your weight shifts constantly. When you stand, the same few points of your feet carry it the whole time. Two habits help: keep your knees soft rather than locked, and move your weight gently between your feet every minute or so. Nobody watching will notice. Your feet will.
How to choose comfortable bridesmaid shoes
Comfort is mostly fit, then construction. Check these before the day, at home, with the shoes on.
- Toe room: about 1 cm between your longest toe and the end of the shoe when standing. A pointed toe should taper beyond your toes, not squeeze them.
- Hold: a shoe with a strap (a Mary Jane or a slingback) holds you in without effort. A mule or slide should feel secure across the widest part of your foot, with your heel sitting on the footbed, not hanging off the back.
- What is underfoot: a cushioned insole matters most in the long standing parts of the day. Sloane, Dakota and both Lustre styles have a memory foam insole.
- What touches the skin: a soft lining means less rubbing by hour six. Selene and Eclipse have a soft fabric inner lining; Sloane and Dakota are leather lined.
- Heel width: the 20 cent coin test above. A block heel is steadier than a stiletto on every surface.
Wear them indoors on carpet or a clean floor for an hour, on two or three evenings, before the wedding. If the fit is not right you can still exchange the size: we offer free size exchanges within 30 days of delivery. Try them indoors first, so you know before they leave the house. Our guides to how mules should fit and how slingbacks should fit cover every check.
Neutral bridesmaid shoes and matching the palette
A neutral bridesmaid shoe is one that disappears into the look so the dresses do the talking. The most useful neutral is not white or silver, but a warm tan or cognac that sits close to many skin tones and carries the line of the leg down into the shoe. Beyond neutrals, a shoe in a colour the bridal palette already uses looks planned.
| Bridesmaid dress colour | Shoe colour that works | Our style |
|---|---|---|
| Champagne, blush, sage, dusty blue | Powder blue, or a warm neutral | Selene, Sloane |
| Navy, wine, sapphire | Midnight navy, or cognac for warmth | Eclipse, Cognac Lustre |
| Emerald, olive, forest | Tonal green, or a warm neutral | Emerald Lustre, Cognac Lustre |
| Black or charcoal | One point of colour at the foot | Emerald Lustre, Eclipse |
| Mixed prints or florals | A colour lifted from the print | Dakota, Selene |
Do bridesmaid shoes have to match?
No, but something should. The party looks planned when one thing is constant across everyone. There are three ways to do it:
- Same shoe, same colour. The most uniform option, and the easiest to photograph. It works best when bridesmaids also wear matching dresses.
- Same shoe, different colours. Selene in powder blue and Eclipse in midnight navy are the same shape with the same beaded detail. Split them across the party, or give the maid of honour the contrasting pair.
- Same colour family, different shoes. Everyone chooses her own style in, say, a warm neutral. This suits mismatched dresses and bridesmaids with different comfort needs, as long as heel heights are similar.
Whichever you choose, keep heel heights within a few centimetres of each other. In a lineup photo, a bridal party split between very high heels and flats looks uneven, even if every shoe is beautiful on its own.
Four bridal parties, worked through
1. Spring garden wedding, sage midi dresses
Wear: sage green chiffon midis that finish mid calf, small pearl earrings, and Selene in powder blue organza.
Why it works: the midi hem stays clear of the lawn, the flat will not sink during a long outdoor ceremony, and powder blue against sage is soft and planned. The beaded evil eye gives each bridesmaid a detail worth a close photo.
Avoid: walking the lawn after the evening dew comes in. Wet grass marks organza. Use the path.
2. Church ceremony and ballroom reception, emerald floor length gowns
Wear: emerald satin gowns hemmed to about 1 cm off the ground in the shoes, gold jewellery, and Emerald Lustre.
Why it works: a tonal shoe lengthens the line of a long gown, so the eye does not stop at the foot. The 3 inch block heel is steady on church stone and ballroom timber, and the slingback strap holds the shoe on through a long night of dancing.
Avoid: ordering your usual size. Emerald Lustre runs small, so order one size up.
3. Coastal wedding, mixed neutral dresses
Wear: each bridesmaid in her own dress in oat, sand or ivory linen, and Sloane in tan nubuck for everyone.
Why it works: mismatched dresses need one constant, and here it is the shoe. Tan nubuck with silver studs looks at home by the water and dressed enough for dinner. A flat sandal is the only sensible shoe on a sandy path.
Avoid: wearing them on the sand itself for the ceremony. Most coastal couples go barefoot on the beach. Carry your sandals and put them on for the headland photos and the reception.
4. Evening black tie, navy gowns
Wear: navy crepe column gowns, a sleek low bun, and Eclipse in midnight navy organza.
Why it works: navy organza shifts between blue and near black as the light moves, which suits an evening room. Tonal with the gown, it lets the pointed toe and beading show as each bridesmaid walks.
Avoid: gowns hemmed for heels. With a flat, have the hem taken to 1 cm off the ground so nobody steps on it on the way down the aisle.
Five mistakes bridal parties make
- Choosing shoes after the dress fitting. The hem is set to the shoe. Choose the shoes first and bring them to the final fitting.
- Ordering too late to exchange. Order six to eight weeks out. That leaves time to try at home and swap a size within the 30 day exchange window.
- Wearing them outside before you know they fit. Try new shoes indoors first, so any size problem shows up while an exchange is still simple.
- Mixing very different heel heights. A lineup of stilettos next to flats reads uneven in photos. Agree a range.
- Forgetting the ceremony is the hard part. A shoe that is fine for dancing can still ache after 40 minutes of standing still. Prioritise cushioning and fit over height.
A checklist to send the group chat
- Where are the ceremony and photos: lawn, sand, stone or indoors?
- What is our one constant: the same shoe, the same colour, or the same colour family?
- What is our heel range? Flats only, or up to a 3 inch block heel?
- Has everyone ordered at least six weeks out, in the right size for that style?
- Has everyone tried hers on indoors for an hour before the final fitting?
- Are the shoes coming to the final dress fitting so the hem can be set?
Frequently asked questions
Can bridesmaids wear flats instead of heels?
Yes. A flat with a pointed toe and a real detail, such as beaded organza or studded nubuck, looks as considered as a heel in photos and is far easier on grass, gravel and sand. The key is agreeing it as a party. If one bridesmaid is in flats and the rest are in tall heels, the lineup looks uneven, so either everyone goes flat or heel heights stay close.
How do I stop my feet from hurting during a wedding ceremony?
Start with fit: enough toe room, a heel that stays put, and a cushioned insole. On the day, keep your knees soft rather than locked and shift your weight gently between your feet every minute or so while you stand. Wear the shoes at home for an hour on a few evenings beforehand, so any pressure point shows up while there is still time to change size.
What shoes should bridesmaids wear for an outdoor or garden wedding?
Flats or block heels. Narrow stilettos sink into lawn and catch between deck boards. Hold a 20 cent coin against the base of the heel: if the heel is smaller, leave it at home. Detailed flats such as organza mules or studded nubuck sandals keep the look formal without the risk, and a midi hem stays clear of damp grass.
What are the best neutral bridesmaid shoes?
A warm tan or cognac is the most useful neutral, because it sits close to many skin tones and works with champagne, sage, navy, olive and most prints. It is more forgiving than white, which can look stark in photos. Sloane in tan nubuck and Cognac Lustre in croc embossed vegan leather are our two warm neutrals.
How do Walkie Walkie bridesmaid shoes fit?
Selene, Eclipse, Sloane and Dakota are true to size, so order your usual size. Cognac Lustre and Emerald Lustre run small, so order one size up. Every style comes in UK 4 to UK 9, and size exchanges are free within 30 days of delivery.
Our bridesmaid edit
Each of these is designed in Australia, and each suits a different kind of wedding.
Powder blue organza pointed toe mule with a beaded evil eye at the toe and a soft fabric inner lining. Garden and daytime weddings, and a something blue for the bride.
Midnight navy organza that shifts between blue and near black in changing light, with a beaded evil eye and a soft fabric inner lining. For evening and black tie weddings.
Croc embossed vegan leather in deep emerald, a 3 inch block heel, a pointed toe slingback and a memory foam insole. Runs small: order one size up.
Tan nubuck with silver stud embellishment and an engraved buckle, a leather lining and a memory foam insole. The warm neutral for coastal and summer weddings.
More from the Style Guide: block heels vs stilettos, how to find heels you can wear all day and comfortable flat sandals.
Bridesmaid footwear, without the compromise
Designed in Australia, for the whole day: the ceremony, the photos and the last song.
Explore Selene Organza Mule →Free size exchanges, Australia-wide.