Shoe choices for brides

I'm not a high heels kind of person. What are some alternative shoe choices for a bride?

High heels are typically the footwear of choice on a bride's big day, thanks to the built-in height. But a wedding - including the clothes and shoes - should stay true to your own style. So, if you would never normally wear high heels, your wedding is not the time to do so either.

Here are some alternatives:

1. Bejewelled flat sandals like this pair from Steve Madden ($160, from B2-25 Ion Orchard) will keep you comfortable. The embellishment makes them a little fancier than your everyday pair.

2. If you want to be more covered up, a simple pair of flats in a metallic or glitter finish will ensure you stay comfortable and feminine but with a bit of a sparkle-packed punch. This pair from Asos ($68, from www.asos.com), which also comes with ankle straps, should do the trick.

3. Wedges can also give your height a little boost, without the spindly feeling of heels. Darker colours may make the entire shoe feel too heavy so stick to nude or light colours, such as this golden pair from J. Crew (US$421 (S$529), from www.net-a- porter.com).

4. If you are an absolute tomboy in terms of style and dislike the idea of even ballet flats or wedges, you could try sticking to a familiar silhouette but in a different fabric. These white sneakers from Bershka ($69.90, from B2-09 Ion Orchard) come in a lacy crochet for a feminine but whimsical wedding shoe alternative.

5. If you do decide to go for heels, pick a mid-height one of between 5cm and 8cm so that you will still feel comfortable. This slightly sporty white pair from Topshop ($96, from www.topshop.com) hovers just under 8cm, and the additional straps help secure the foot in place.

This article was published on May 2 in Urban, The Straits Times.

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