RSSPreviously on My Search for Bridal Shoes: I tried on a bunch of Nina shoes and had problems with all of them. I concluded that I should look exclusively at shoes with the around-the-ankle strap for better dancing support. Furthermore, I’d rather spend a little more for good-quality shoes I can wear again.
I tried some more local department stores and shoe stores, but had no luck at any of them. So I turned to the Internet. I found these t-strap sandals on AnnTaylor.com:
and these from Zappos:
From left to right, the shoes from Zappos are:
- Grant, by Nina. These are the shoes I mentioned at the end of this post.
- Sculpted, by Steve Madden
- Infinity, by David Tate. These shoes come in both narrow and wide sizes.
I ordered all the shoes in a 6.5M, except for the David Tate shoes. Those I ordered in a 7N. I tried them all on in the comfort of my own home, taking them around the carpet and the kitchen linoleum.
The Ann Taylor shoes were ok, except for a bit of poking/chafing around the ankle strap. They’re really shiny, but I could still see myself wearing them on many occasions.
The Nina shoes were very nice, but a tiny bit too small. From my previous experience with trying on Nina shoes, I suspect going a half size up will make them much too big.
I loved the look of the Steve Madden shoes, but they were too wide around the ankle.
The David Tate shoes fit better than any other bridal shoe I have tried on so far. The secret, of course, is in the narrow sizing—all the other brands only come in the standard medium width. I can usually make do with a 6.5M, but my real shoe size is 7N.
All the shoes except the David Tate shoes will be going back. I haven’t quite decided to go with the David Tate shoes yet. First, the heel is a full inch lower than the heels I wore for my first dress fitting. I’m not sure how much this will upset my seamstress. Second, the straps at the front are a little uncomfortable. But I’ll hang onto them for now. They’re the best option I have so far and Zappos has a generous 365-day return policy.