Putting My Best Shoe Forward

When I was in college, I worked for a well-known low-cost shoe store.  I loved shoes before I started working there, but during and after, they became a bit of an obsession.  Footwear began explode out of my closet, and it didn't matter if I couldn't think of a single outfit that the bubblegum pink mary jane flats would go with, I bought them.

Now here I am, getting married.  Do you think my obsession has extended to my wedding day shoes? Um. Yeah.

The first pair I fell in love with? 

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The Stuart Weitzman "Oboe."  Wedge heel, adorable bow at the front, open toe--they were perfect! What's not to love?  How about the price tag.

Before we go any further, I should explain a little bit about my love of shoes.  See, I love inexpensive shoes. More shoes for less money equals supreme happiness!  I would rather have ten pairs of twenty-ish dollar shoes or five pairs of forty-ish dollar shoes than one pair of two hundred dollar shoes.  I know, I know, you get what you pay for and all that, and I have worn out many a shoe in my time.  But, I also have to be budget-conscious. I have been extremely lucky not to have fallen in love with a pair of shoes I could never afford. 

Until now.

With that in mind, back to the Stuart Weitzmans!  I saw the $325 price tag and I wanted to cry.  Still, I thought, this is my wedding day, and there's no better reason to spend a boatload of cash on shoes than my wedding day, right? I clicked on the box to select a size and BAM! Problem number two: they don't come in my size (must have been a run on size 10--I know, my feet are gigantic!).  I checked another website: no dice.  Apparently Stuart Weitzman doesn't make those shoes in size 10. 

I was lamenting my predicament to Mr. Goodlaff, who comes back with "So, let me get this straight: you found the perfect wedding shoes except for they don't come in your size and they cost way too much money?"

Hmpfh. Boys. 

Unfortunately, he had a point. I gave up on Stuart.

I read a lot about the colored-shoe trend, and given that one of our wedding colors was cobalt blue, I decided my shoes could be my "something blue" and set out on new search for the perfect wedding shoes.

What do I find?

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Keep dreaming Miss Goodlaff, keep dreaming. I didn't even want to know the price, so I moved on.

Luckily, the good folks at Zappos had some great options for me, and I finally narrowed it down to these two pairs:

Left: Me Too "Jeanette" ($89), Right: Pour La Victoire "Laela" ($151)



 I liked the color of the Jeanettes better, but preferred the classy, retro feel of the Laelas.  Neither of these pairs had ridiculous heel heights, and both were within a reasonable price range.  I couldn't make up my mind, so I asked Mr. Goodlaff for his input.

Survey says:

Aren't they beautiful! I was so thrilled with my first online shoe-shopping experience, and pleasantly surprised at how well they fit my feet. They just need a little bit of sparkle and they will be perfect!

Did price play a part in deciding on your wedding accessories?