Am I Spending Too Much On Wedding Shoes?

how much should wedding shoes cost
Photo by IQ Photography

Q: I’m a little embarrassed to admit this, but I’ve fallen in love with a pair of wedding shoes. The problem? They cost over $500. Yes, it’s an insane problem to have, I know, but I’m totally on the fence about whether I’m being completely crazy or justified in buying them. I’ve saved money on some other areas in my wedding budget, and these shoes are calling my name. How much should wedding shoes cost?- Samantha

A: Before I even get into it, let’s just go ahead and take all judgements off the table. Yes, $500 is a pretty hefty amount to spend on any shoe or clothing item (or anything, really), but that’s not what we’re talking about it here. We’re talking about how much wedding shoes should cost, and whether or not expensive wedding shoes are worth it, right? Because if that $500 is not going towards shoes at your wedding, it’s most likely going towards another thing you might not even remember the morning after but seems completely necessary at the time. So NO JUDGEMENTS HERE.

Shop Our Favorite Wedding Shoes Under $200

OK. So do I think expensive wedding shoes are worth the splurge? The short answer is no. UNLESS you get a pair of fabulous, non-white wedding shoes that you’ll definitely wear again. My $200+ pair of heels that I bought in the wedding dress boutique purely because by the time they showed them to me at my next to last fitting I was too lazy to go anywhere to shop? Those shoes? Yeah, I’ve NEVER worn them again.

Aside from the fact that they were super painful by the end of the night and my feet felt like they were possibly broken, they are an off-white kitten heel with a strap and a jewel thingy that won’t go with anything. I thought about dyeing them but…let’s be real. I will never get around to that. They are also scuffed and a bit worn on the heel because, as you’ll see at your wedding, you are running around and standing in them for what feels like the equivalent of a New York City marathon. Those $500 shoes your eyeing will most likely suffer the same fate. Also, I hate to break it to you, but aside from one or two shots of them your photographer will most likely get, nobody notices the wedding shoes. They notice your wedding dress.

If it were me, I would think about what you can get with all that shoe savings if you went with a $100-$200 wedding shoe instead. What about a night in a fancy hotel on your honeymoon? Or a dinner at a Michelin star restaurant just the two of you?

Bottom line? There’s no real answer to how much wedding shoes should cost. That is of course up to you. But if you’re having buyers remorse before you’ve even bought these wedding shoes, chances are you’ll feel even worse once you do.

SEE MORE: Find Out What to Do and When With Our Wedding Planning Checklist

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