The Best & Most Comfortable Wedding Heels for Bridesmaids

That moment is almost here - your best friend, your partner in crime, your sister or your brother is getting married. It might feel like just yesterday when you were running home together from a party barefoot carrying your heels or passing notes to each other in class. While you might be caught up in the commotion of all the wedding prep being a bridesmaid, one thing that you can not leave as an afterthought are your wedding heels. 

Not only will your wedding heels tie together the look the bride has painstakingly picked out for you, but they will also help you stand tall with the bridal party and dance the night away.

When picking out the perfect bridesmaid heels there are many factors at play:

• Style of the wedding: If it's casual, reach for a simple kitten heel. For more formal affairs a sophisticated heel style would look best. 

• Your style: If you wear heels that are not your style, you'll know it. That energy will come across during the wedding.

• Your dress: If the dress is short then the heel has a moment to shine. If the dress is long, pairing it with sky high heels will give you legs for days.

• Avoiding wedding faux pas: You want to know if all the bridesmaid’s high heels should match and what colors to avoid.

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With all these factors in mind the one thing you will never regret is comfortable heels.

Remember most weddings start in the morning and you will be running around helping with several errands. After all the pre-wedding scramble and jitters you will be walking down the aisle in heels. You want to walk with confidence. You don't want to be smiling through the sharp pain in the balls of your feet or rocking your weight back and forth in your shoes while standing up with your fellow bridesmaids next to the bride.  

After the beautiful ceremony, then comes the dancing. At this point, even the most seasoned high heel wearers say “f**k it!” and  take off their heels and celebrate barefoot from that point on. This is why selecting the right wedding heels is so essential. It sets the tone for the event and ensures you will never look back with regrets.

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Mixing style with comfortable heels

We're realists - we know there's no way you're wearing Easy Spirits to your BFFs wedding. We’ll help you find the holy grail of heels: a pair that matches the wedding style, matches your style, and is comfortable. 

When deciding on the best bridesmaid high heels, it's important to consider your style. The heels are likely the only opportunity to bring personality into your wedding look and while you don't want to outshine the bride you do want to be yourself. Are you simplistic or maximalist? Carrie or Samantha? When shopping for heels an important question is will I wear them again or will they collect dust in my closet?

Another consideration when selecting your bridesmaid high heel style is your dress that you are pairing it with. Pair a short dress with statement heels as they will pop in photos. 

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PRO TIP: Hollywood's top stylists recommend never wearing heeled ankle boots with short dresses. Ankle boots cut you off at the ankle and make the look proportionally weird. 

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If your dress has a slit we recommend nude pumps as they will give the illusion of extremely long legs. Or if you're feeling daring, lace up heels would look incredible peering through the dresses slit. 

Now for gowns and long dresses go for tall, tall heels. Here you can get away with a more simple, universal shoe style as the heels would be mostly covered. 

When heel shopping it might be tempting to trade off comfort for the trendy new style all over Instagram. Don’t be swayed!  Many notorious heel brands today are infamous for being uncomfortable. The shiny, trendy shoes work wonderfully for women taking a personal driver to dinner, sitting down, then leaving for the night. That is the max you can get out of those heels.  That is not what you'll be doing at this wedding. You'll be chasing the flower girls or you will be standing for your speech.  You need a heel that supports you, not holds you back.

PRO TIP - make sure weddings are not the first place you wear your new heels - wear them around the house, park, etc  - you don’t want to be surprised with blisters and excruciating heel pain.

Now I know what you're thinking. “I got this. I got heel cushions at CVS that you put in the shoes and I'm set.” No, the truth is they rarely work. Even if they do, they add an hour to your total heel wearing time which doesn’t work for an all day wedding.  We're going to be your big sister here and tell you not to bother making the same mistakes we have. Your only two choices are carrying flats or FOLDABLE, convertible heels.

Carrying flats?

Carrying flats is about as old-school as it gets and has trade-offs. 

The first is you have to remember the flats... Seems simple enough but you'd be surprised how often this goes awry. 

The second is the flats have to match the dress. An expensive dress mixed with your hot pink hush puppies from high school just simply won't do. 

The last trade-off is you'll have to carry the flats that you've been running around in, sweating in and stepping on gum with, in your cute clutch bag. Assuming the flats even fit in the bag.

Foldable, convertible heels

This brings us to convertible heels (folding heels). Yes, FOLDING HEELS. Now we know what you are thinking and no, this is not some mythical thing that doesn't exist. They're real. They're cute. They're here.

When it comes to having the best wedding heels for bridesmaids, folding heels are the best option because they are extremely versatile to whatever the day throws at you. They also automatically match your dress and both heel and flat mode. No more taking off your uncomfortable wedding heels in the corner. These convertible heels fold into flats in seconds and prevent those moments when you are rocking your body weight in high heels or just in too much pain to do anything else but sit. 

VICE VERSA convertible heels blend style with the incredible functionality. Our luxury heels are designed in Paris & Los Angeles, using fine leathers, and are hand made in Spain. Oh, and did we mention they're extremely comfortable heels, too? Well, they are the most comfortable heels you’ll ever wear. 

VICE VERSA heels took years of research and development to create the perfect wedding heels for bridesmaids. Dream heels. 

Comfortable heels for bridesmaids for every wedding dress code

When deciding on the best comfortable heels for bridesmaids, it is important to consider the dress code. Here are a few bridesmaid high heel options for the most popular wedding dress codes:

Look example for casual wedding featuring Vice Versa’s scrunchie mule fuschia heels - (bag) Poco Rabanne - (earrings) Isabel Marant - (dress) Zimmerman

The Casual Wedding

When people say the dress code is casual what they usually mean is don't go overboard. The theme of a casual wedding can be pretty murky for bridesmaids and unless you have clear dress directions. A heel is still recommended for a casual wedding because they can be dressed up or dressed down. VICE VERSAs heels are a secret weapon for bridesmaids of casual weddings because if you show up and look ridiculous in heels you can simply switch them to flats.

The Garden Wedding

A garden wedding is filled with fresh flowers, sunny weather (hopefully!) and a gorgeous gazebo. A romantic silhouette would be best with the ultra feminine vibes. Or the infamous cottagecore. When selecting a heel opt for a wedge or block heel. Remember grass is not a friend of stilettos. Twisted ankles and broken heels are common.

The Beach Wedding

Lean into nature and sea breeze. Opt for a more organic, flowy silhouettes. When selecting shoes, don't overdo it, you're at the beach not the MET. Look for heeled or flat sandals in either a nude or covered in crystals. Or dare we say it - go barefoot.

The Cocktail Wedding

A cocktail wedding dress code is common and also gives you the most flexibility when it comes to heels. At a cocktail wedding, most of the wedding guests will be in short dresses and the bridesmaids will usually be in long gowns. Bridesmaid heels will vary greatly depending on the dress style. If you want to give them a moment to shine, opt for a dress with a slit or a high-low silhouette (a dress that is short in the front and long in the back).

The Black Tie Wedding

Ooh la la. Channeling James Bond for this one. It is time for a ball gown or sleek tuxedo. While the heels are mostly covered, there will be moments where a peek of them will show.  When selecting a pair of comfortable bridesmaid heels - simplicity is key here. It's about the quality of the heel and the tiny details. For example, a fine Italian lace heel or well cut, pump silhouette. 

Avoiding wedding faux pas

There are many unspoken rules when it comes to what to wear to weddings. When in doubt it is best to ask the bride. Here are some general guidelines:

Are heels required?

Nowadays - sometimes. It depends on the dress code:

• For a casual wedding: You could get away with a dressy flat

• For a cocktail wedding: Heels are recommended - especially if the dress is short and shows them off!

• For a formal wedding: Heels are a must 

Should all bridesmaids high heels match?

No - this is not a usual requirement. In most cases bridesmaids choose their heels - which is great because then the heels can be worn again outside the wedding. 

This has the exception of the bride requiring a specific color. In which case, it could be a great moment to have all of the bridesmaids heels match, especially if the dress is shorter and reveals the heels. 

Should my heels match my dress?

No - but they shouldn’t clash. If you want to go with something matching make sure it is a print style and color you would wear again.

What color should bridesmaids wear?

Nude is your best bet! It goes with everything and creates the illusion of longer legs. Clear and black heels are also great options if nude doesn’t go with your look.

Can I wear white?

No. Unless directly told otherwise, it’s best to leave white clothing / accessories to the bride and avoid wearing anything white, including heels. 

Who buys the bridesmaids high heels?

If the style is timeless then it is normal for the bridesmaids to purchase their high heels. Especially if all the heels are different and are picked out by all of the individual bridesmaids.

There is an exception if the bride requests a very specific heel style. Then it could be up to the bride or individual bridesmaids (depending on budget left over) to make the heel purchase.

Folding heels - the best heels for bridesmaids

Folding heels are absolutely the best choice for that special day. You can wear them as flats the morning of the wedding while you get your hair and make-up done and run errands. Then you can switch to heels for the ceremony. Switch back to flats during down time, then dance the night away in heels or flats.

Not only are VICE VERSAs high heels adaptable, they are also very comfortable heels so you can maximize the heel time. They also won’t let you down when you are standing next to the bride on her special day or showing your moves on the dance floor.