Womens Heels

Heels for a Wedding Guest

A wedding is the longest day in heels most people ever have: a ceremony on your feet, photos on a lawn, a long dinner and then the dancing. Searches for heels for a wedding guest climb through late summer, just ahead of the fall wedding rush, and the smart choice is the most securely held heel you love. A strapped nude or a caged style keeps your toes from clenching hour after hour, and a broad block or platform is the answer when the vows happen outdoors. Think about the dance floor too, because a strap you can fasten a hole tighter after dinner keeps working long after a plain pump has started to slip.

• Ceremony on a lawn. A block platform stays on top of the grass.
• Reception indoors. A caged or strapped stiletto holds on through the dancing.
• Daytime vows. Nude looks polished in photos and never pulls focus.

Dinners, Parties and Nights Out

When the evening is mostly sitting, height costs you very little. A 4 inch stiletto that would be a gamble at a wedding is right at home at a dinner with a ride waiting outside, and that is where gold glitter and coral earn their keep. A heeled mule is the quickest dressy shoe to step into, and a laser cut bootie handles cool evenings that are not quite boot weather. Wear the loudest pair your outfit can carry, since a statement heel lets the dress stay simple.

• Seated dinners. The 4 inch stiletto, in glitter or patent.
• Standing parties. A block platform or a strapped heel nearer 3.5 inches.
• Quick exits. A heeled mule you can be wearing in seconds.

Reading the Dress Code

An invitation hands you the answer in a couple of words, and the heel follows the hem it sits under.

• Black tie. Glitter, patent and fine chain details on a slim heel.
• Cocktail. Room for color and hardware, coral or a gold strap.
• Garden or daytime. Nude or beige on a wide block.
• Festive or casual. Peep toes and cutouts that show some skin.

Building a Heel Wardrobe

Start with a nude heel in your own shade, strapped so it stays put, because it answers more invitations than any other shoe. Add one statement pair for the nights you want to be noticed. Finish with a block or platform for outdoor and all day events. Try every pair on in the evening, when feet are at their largest, so the fit you buy is the fit you will have at the reception. Shades from pale to deeper are compared on the nude heels page, the thinnest heels are gathered under stiletto heels, and the styles that buckle at the ankle sit on ankle strap heels.