I almost bought the wrong wedding shoes. This is the bridal edit that will make sure you don't

I remember with complete clarity what it was like trying to find the perfect wedding heels. Everyone always talks about saying yes to the dress (an emotional moment, to be sure), but very rarely do we hear the ins-and-outs of sourcing the perfect bridal shoes. It is the most practical choice for any bride-to-be: determined by wedding venue, dress and (crucially) personal style. Will you traipse through mud in the countryside? Perhaps a pair of designer silk sling-backs are not the way to go. Sporting a short dress to your courthouse nuptials? Then splurge on the shoes. It is one of the few cases where people will actually see them.

For me, the most memorable moment in my bridal era was standing in a designer shoe shop humming and hawing about whether a pair of baby blue Hangisimu mules from Manolo Blahnik was worth the splurge. This is, after all, what I do for a living. My ever-supportive husband urged me to go for it. But while I adored them (and told myself I'd for sure find a reason to wear them again) I decided against it. And, it turns out, that was the best decision I've ever made. My budget-friendly bone-white satin slingbacks served me well, considering I spent most of my wedding day on a dirt road, lawn or sticky dance floor. We ended up in a Stockholm nightclub at the end of the night, after all, and I simply can't imagine myself dancing the way I did in a pair of designer heels.

Do I sometimes think about those Hangisimus? Absolutely. Your wedding day is one of the rare occasions in life even the most frugal among us find the funds to splurge on ourselves. So as someone who has experienced the whole spectrum of emotions, and worked with a tight bridal budget, these are the best wedding shoes you can buy now. From comfortable wide-fit bridal flats to impossibly high and impossibly expensive wedding stilettos, below we run the shopping gamut.

Comfort comes in many shapes. It doesn't necessarily equate to flats... and we are a handful of editors in the Vogue offices who absolutely swear by our local Swedish shoe designer Sania D'Mina's heels to last through long hours. Our managing editor (while otherwise allergic to a kitten heel) wore her pearl-encrusted seven centimetre pair during her courthouse nuptials in Melbourne over Christmas, styled with a Bianca Jagger-coded hat and a silk georgette set, clocking in a whopping 16-hour wear. Comfort comes down to fit, and the reason we call out D'Mina specifically is the heel pitch and the toe box. She considers the way a shoe wears, which not every designer does.

To avoid any wobble entirely, a flat is always a safe bet. Alternative brides have been gunning for silk ballerinas for years now, causing those Miu Mius to almost go mainstream. But the most comfortable shoe for you depends on factors more specific than heel height. Think about the venue and what you want your evening to look like: will you dance, or are you a barfly? Are you on your feet all day, or do you plan to spend most of it seated? What's the terrain, and are you usually comfortable walking on your tippy toes across an expanse of grass waiting to devour your heel the moment you place your weight wrong? And, crucially, how is your foot shaped. Wide? Look for wide-fit styles, and the same goes for narrow. Flat-footed or high-arched? That changes everything.

Flats have found their way onto many bridal moodboards since the pandemic. Perhaps we're all a little tired of being uncomfortable? But that comfort doesn't come at the cost of style, and finding the right pair of bridal flats really comes down to texture. There are heavy silks for a more traditional take, see-through lace for delicate garden nuptials, and pearl-beaded Mary Janes for city weddings. For seaside ceremonies, where sand makes heels virtually impossible, a flat is simply the only sensible answer (and anyone who has tried to traverse a beach in stilettos will tell you the same).

As for low heels, kitten heights have been trending and offer the sleek silhouette of a skinny heel without needing to sacrifice your stability. Perhaps not one to wear to the beach – we've covered that – but for the altar they strike exactly the right balance. A subtle lift that helps your posture without giving you a single thing to worry about on the way down the aisle.

How many times have we stumbled across cobblestones at various weddings and events after one flute of champagne too many? That is not how we want things to go down on our wedding day. Especially not considering (and I am speaking from experience here) that you as the bride are not particularly focused on food, meaning it's easy to get a bit unsteady by cocktail hour. A fellow journalist friend who got married on Hydra in Greece, where there are no cars, only donkeys, stairs and gravel paths, looked fabulous in a floaty gossamer dress and a pair of block-heeled strappy sandals. Arguably, those resort-friendly block heels were the key in keeping sturdy.

As for wedges, I have only recently seen the charm. They have long been synonymous with espadrille raffia heels (perhaps for a less formal occasion) or, and I shudder, heeled sneakers. But in 2026 we're seeing more sophisticated, architectural styles flood our feeds, and there's something superbly sexy and undeniably modern about a white leather wedge, whether fronted by a flip-flop style strap or a mule. We also couldn't think of a better garden wedding shoe.

If you're someone set on a stiletto for your wedding day, you either live exclusively in heels or you're one of the bravest people I've ever come across. Don't get me wrong, I love a high heel myself (a short Achilles tendon will do that to you) and applaud you for being so uncompromising. A slim stiletto makes you walk differently. It gives you a posture that is unmatched, and there is something to be said for being entirely, unapologetically yourself on your wedding day.

That said, a mostly standing 16-hour day in high heels does require some forward planning. Keep the hem of your dress in mind, as a slim heel can easily catch on it if you're not careful. Opt for a shoe that supports your arch properly and wear-test your heels around the house to break them in. Even though I wore a mere kitten heel, I cooked many dinners in those shoes to make sure they would be comfortably moulded to my feet by the big day. If you're going to go for it, go for it. You can always tuck a spare pair of flats into your bridesmaid's bag.

Let's circle back to those Hangisimus. There's something special about splurging on yourself for your wedding day, and for some, the nuptials make the perfect excuse to finally purchase that pair you've been eyeing forever. So while I landed on the right decision not buying the designer wedding shoes of my dreams, it doesn't mean you should be dissuaded. Just consider what you would actually wear afterwards. The right designer pair should either be so special you want to keep them displayed on a shelf, or so wearable that you reach for them again and again.

Spending a bit more on a designer wedding shoe also makes particular sense if you're a footwear fanatic, especially if you're opting for a shorter hemline. If I were to get married today, I'd probably go for a dropped waist and a tea-length ultra-wide skirt, because those proportions are everything. I am currently wondering if I can convince my husband to agree to a vow renewal any time soon. And don't forget: Vestiaire Collective is what vintage designer dreams are made of. Something old is, after all, part of the adage.

As someone who personally opted for a budget shoe, a silk pair from ASOS snagged during the January sales, I can highly recommend it. Do they feel as special as a designer pair would have? Absolutely not. But there was a certain relief in not having to worry about them once during the day. I had, after all, more important things on my mind. Like my wedding speech.

Besides, there are so many high street options today that finding the perfect pair is more about wading through the volume than a lucky dip. The one thing I will say is that a budget shoe will rarely offer the comfort or stability of a more considered pair, so wearing them in beforehand is absolutely essential. Break them in properly and they will serve you well. And if you're still indecisive about how much to spend, consider what dress you're wearing. Very rarely are the shoes the centre of attention on your wedding day. Spend accordingly.

Another part of the marital adage, your something blue has recently slipped down from your garter to your shoe. And we have, largely, Carrie Bradshaw to thank for that. When Big proposed with a blue Manolo Blahnik Hangisi in the Sex and the City film, the something blue wedding shoe was cemented into bridal consciousness forever. We've also seen blue eyeshadow and silky blue underwear become increasingly popular alternatives, but there's something particularly pleasing about it landing on your feet.

One thing worth considering: various blues read very differently depending on your dress. Are you going ivory, bone or stark white? An eye-catching Klein blue will show up vastly differently across the three. An almost-white pastel blue, meanwhile, works across the board. There's a full spectrum to explore and you'll undoubtedly find your perfect shade. Just keep everything we've covered in terms of heel height and fit in mind when finding your one-true-pair.