6 Best Shoes to Wear With Long Formal Dresses
Preparing for formal events doesn’t have to be stressful. It can be fun to pick out the perfect formal dress and decide what shoes to wear with it.
While long dresses will typically cover the shoes for the most part, that doesn’t mean that the shoes you choose for a long formal dress don’t matter. The shoes you choose have the power to take your look to the next level or make it fall flat. No pressure, right?
Seriously though, choosing the perfect pair of shoes for your formal event will not be as difficult as it may seem. The best way to end up with the right pair of shoes is to know what you’re looking for and ask all the right questions. That’s why we put together this guide for choosing shoes to wear with a long formal dress.
Things To Consider When Choosing Shoes To Wear With A Long Formal Dress
Before you decide on a style of shoe to wear with your long or floor-length gown, there are some other things to consider beyond shoe styles. Making a great choice will not just be about the look of the shoe, but also how you feel overall throughout the special occasion.
Take some time to think about these things before shopping for the best shoes to wear with a long formal dress.
Color
The color of your shoes will depend on the color of your dress. While your shoes should compliment your dress, they don’t have to be an exact match. In fact, there is no better time to choose a bold shoe color or design than for a formal event.
Sparkles, glitter, bold patterns, bright colors, gold, and silver shoes are all fun options for formal occasions if you want to make a style statement.
If your dress is bold and has a lot of detail, you may want to choose a solid color shoe that lets the dress speak for itself. Nude, black shoes, or some other muted color may be a good idea.
If you have a fairly simple dress, you have a great opportunity to add a lot of flair and fun with the perfect shoes that stand out at black-tie events. No matter the type of shoes you choose, nude pumps or rhinestone-covered stilettos, make sure you love the color or design.
Heel Height
Heel height is important not only for your comfort level through the event but also for the style of dress. As far as comfort goes, high heels can be a literal pain.
Still, some long formal dresses will look best with heels. If this is the case for you, a good choice for comfort would be to go with a heel no higher than 3 inches.
High heels may give you a more elegant look, but they just aren’t for everyone. Some people can’t wear them for various reasons and that’s totally okay.
You can always get a pair of shoes with a high enough heel to be dressy enough without being high enough to be an issue for you.
Comfort Level
Comfort level is obviously impacted by heel height most of all, but that’s not the only factor to be considered for comfort.
Pointy toe shoes, for example, even without a high heel, may cause discomfort in the toes after wearing them for hours. If this tends to be an issue for you, err on the side of caution for events that you know will have you on your feet for a long time.
Go with a shoe that is broken in and won’t cause blisters, make sure the fit is appropriate for you, and ensure that you have some sort of padding in the pressure points of the shoe. Your outfit should add to the success of the event, not be a distraction, or worse, a hindrance for having fun and being present.
Hem Length Of The Dress
The length of your dress can have an impact on the height of heels you choose. The hem length of your dress may require a slightly higher heel to keep you from stepping on the dress when you walk.
It may also require that your heels are not too high, making the dress fall at an awkward level causing it to look too short.
A long formal dress should have a hem that sits right on the floor or just slightly above, which means your heel height needs to be adjusted to keep the hem length of your dress sitting in the right place.
Dress Style
Your dress style can play a part in determining the style of shoe you choose. An evening gown, for instance, may require a more classy and dressy shoe than a semi-formal long dress may require.
A very formal event like a black-tie wedding will likely have a dress code. The type of dress you choose may require a more classic look like a formal gown with a closed toe pump.
A dress for a semi-formal event could work well with a dressy wedge. It’s a case-by-case, event-by-event, and dress-by-dress kind of decision.
What Shoes To Wear With Long Formal Dresses
Pumps
Pumps are a go-to classic for women when it comes to high-heeled shoes. They’re a good match for a little black dress, most cocktail dresses in general, and sometimes they even come in styles with ankle straps, which offer more stability.
These Blue by Betsey Johnson Women’s Pumps are a gorgeous and extra fancy pump with sparkly detail that will dress up any formal dress that is lacking in detail.
These DREAM PAIRS Tiffany Women’s Classic Elegant Pumps are a little less extravagant, but still have plenty of flair and would make a great choice with a sparkly dress or a dress with less detail.
For a more detailed dress, you could go with a more simple but still dressy shoe like these YDN Women Chic Pointed Toe Pumps. Choose a color that compliments your dress for a perfect match that completes your entire look.
Pumps can be challenging on the comfort side of things because unless you size up, they may get uncomfortable after long wear. They can also easily slide off of the heel when you’re walking or dancing, which of course is made worse by sizing up.
If you are used to wearing pumps, this won’t bother you like it might bother someone new to this style of shoe.
Pumps are perfect for short dresses in the winter season because they help provide a bit more coverage and they’re a popular shoe style because they pair well with dresses for cocktail parties as well as skinny jeans for a casual date night.
Peep Toes
Peep toe shoes are a fun take on pumps. They have a small opening at the toe that is just enough for a peek, but it’s not a full open toed shoe.
These DREAM PAIRS Women’s Swan-05 High Heel Platform Peep Toe shoes are both beautifully decorated and understated in the solid black color, which might be a good choice if you want a fancier shoe without making a big statement.
These Bandolino Women’s Rainaa Peep Toe Pumps are sparkly but still simple. Silver and gold shoes like these look great with a solid color dress and can be a perfect choice instead of the basic, traditional black or nude shoe.
Kitten Heels
Kitten heels are an excellent option for people who want to wear a heel for a more formal look, but need or want to avoid high heels. “Kitten heels” or “short heels” were initially designed for younger girls but have evolved to being worn by women of all ages.
These can be a more comfortable option than higher heels because although they can slide off the heel of your foot, you are less likely to “fall off” the shoe when you put your foot back down into the shoe with such a low heel.
These IDIFU Women’s IN2 Candice Low Kitten Heels are beautifully designed for formal wear and will offer sophistication and comfort at the same time.
With slightly higher heels, these Mysoft Women’s Pumps Pointed Kitten Heels are a great way to make a statement in a more comfortable, on-the-dance-floor-all-night kind of way.
Wedges
Wedges can be a little trickier to wear in a formal setting because they’re mainly designed to be paired with a much more casual wear look. However, if you can find them in a formal style, they are no doubt one of the most comfortable shoes to wear with formal dresses.
Wedges are a more comfortable way to have height in your shoes, especially if they are platform wedges. These shoes tend to be easier to walk in for inexperienced high-heel wearers, but can still be a challenge if they are very narrow.
These beautiful IDIFU Women’s Classic Wedge Sandal Heels are a more formal option that will compliment many different color dresses.
These will look great with a more understated dress. Following a good rule of thumb that the more detailed the dress, the more simple the shoe should be and vice versa.
If you need a more understated shoe to go with a more detailed dress, these IDIFU Women’s 3 Inch Strappy Wedges, in whatever color you need to match your dress, will be just dressy enough to compliment the look and be super comfortable all night.
Slingback Heels
Slingback heels are high heel shoes featuring a strap back rather than a full, solid back. Slingbacks can be any heel height and can be on any style of shoe. These low heel FSJ Women Crystal Studded Clear Slingbacks are a classy option for any type of dress in a formal attire
For that more blank slate kind of look for a detailed dress, these Women’s Petula Sling Back Dress Pumps are perfect and come in different colors and materials. Slingback shoes can be a more comfortable kind of heel because they stay put better than other heels.
A slingback can be adjusted for a more snug fit, whereas other shoes may easily slip off of the back of your heel while walking or dancing.
Strappy Heels
Strappy sandals are a great option for a summer wedding or any formal event in the summer months and they pair perfectly with virtually any evening dress. These shoes are held on your feet by straps, making them easier to walk in but also potentially a lot less comfortable with long-time wear.
Wider straps will support the foot more and make the wearer much more comfortable, so keep that in mind while you’re choosing a strappy sandal for your formal look.
These super fun Steve Madden Women’s Carrson Dress Sandals have a chunky heel, which is much easier to walk in and can be more comfortable, and a beautiful formal look.
If you want a less stand-out look in a strappy sandal, these DREAM PAIRS Women’s Dolce Sandal Stilettos will do the trick. You can grab these in different colors and materials to work with your long formal dress.
What shoes NOT to wear with a long formal dress
Typically, for formal events, these are the shoes you want to steer clear of:
- flip flops
- flat sandals
- sneakers
- ankle boots
- cowboy boots
- knee boots
There are so many types of shoes and colors of shoes to wear with a floor length gown. Ultimately, your personal style will be a huge determining factor in the shoe choice you make, but we hope that this guide has made it easier for you to choose the right pair of heels for your next special occasion.
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