Wedding Shoe Redux

Alright, ladies.
There's something we need to talk about: your feet. That's right, feet.
Remember how I stressed over THE shoes? I was seconds away from ordering a custom made pair from Milk and Honey before I realized that I was just shy of the 4 week lead time. Knowing customs and knowing the issues I had had with shoes up until this point it wasn't worth the risk.

I found a pair of not too high heels here in town by a coveted British designer. They weren't the initial style I fell in love with, but they matched my dress and surprisingly, the venue. They were also on sale.

But seriously, I should have been looking for a pair of padded slippers. You know why? Because those beautifully detailed white shoes with gold accents were on my feet for 13 whole hours.
That's right.13.
Two of my toes are still numb and my wedding was nearly a month ago. I could hardly walk the next day. You will never know the sweet relief that was the moment I finally ripped those suckers off and slapped a pair of sandals on my feet. Never. Know.

That's the point really. Make sure you never know what it feels like to have nerve damage from the total distraction that is your wedding. Meaning: even though your feet might be killing you, it's easy to forget because at first you are so freaking busy and then you are so freaking happy (and still busy) having the time of your life. You'll be all: Feet? What? Let's party!

Sure, every photo blog shoes the shot of THE SHOES. Frankly I had so many layers of crinoline the only time anyone saw THE SHOES is when I was crossing the street to get photos done.

Our photographer did an amazing job, and I really liked her, but she clearly did not scout before our shoot and towards the end there was a lot of  "let's walk over here...I think I know this place..." which is not what you want to hear when you've already been at it for a couple of hours.
Having a "first look" is great, but it meant I had those damn things on a lot longer than I might have otherwise and I had no contingency plan.

Finding suitable flats felt like an impossibility, but ladies - for the sake of your feet - find a way!

Update: my toes stayed numb for three whole months.  I had an inkling when standing around getting my dress hem pinned. Don't ignore your gut!

Stop the ShoeSanity

It's happened. I have officially spent more time shopping for wedding shoes than my wedding dress.
What's the problem you say?
It's two fold: first I'm a size 8. That's right, the world's most commonly shopped out size.
Why don't they make more 8's? Do they think they're aren't enough to support the shoe trade? Lies I tell you. They would still sell out. I dream of size 6 feet so I could shop the shoes of the world without worry.

Last pair in...size 6! Right here!

The other issue is that all the lovely shoes happen to be at least 3 inches high.

From here

No, this is not a problem per se, but I will tower over my husband to be while we stand face to face exchanging vows.
I actually blindfolded him while I tried on my lovely brand new pair of electric blue Colcci's (sadly no photo available) which I mistakenly  thought were the ones. We looked ridiculous.  Ridiculous enough that when I took the blindfold off him he too was laughing in agreement. I also realized in my shopping fever that a size 7 is really not a size 8 and that the shoes were cutting into my feet in a most uncomfortable way.
Back to the store they went and now all I have one of those irritating store credits and no shoes.
The biggest issue (which I clearly avoided when I said it my problem was only two fold) is that I love shoes. Not just any shoes but seemingly those that cost five hundred dollars and up. Oh yes, the more expensive they are the more I seem to gravitate towards them. I don't buy them, unless they are crazy on sale. You can wear just about anything from H&M and make it look amazing when you add a great pair of shoes.

I'm not telling where these are from because you can't have my size 8.

See these shoes? I love them. By the time I pay for the taxes and shipping they will likely cost more than my off the rack wedding dress. Would you do it? Would you spend more than your dress on your shoes?