Choosing the best shoes to go with any prom dress

Prom is a magical evening for many high school juniors and seniors. For most students, prom is their first experience with formal evening wear and the sophisticated accouterments that signify a rite of passage into adulthood. Young ladies, especially, take great care choosing the perfect dress and no accessory is more vital than shoes. To choose appropriate prom shoes, you must consider the evening’s activities, the prom’s location, and the dress itself.

The most important shoe characteristic is comfort. The evening will be filled with walking, dancing, standing, and posing. Tight, pinching, or otherwise uncomfortable shoes will make the evening torturous before it begins. To choose comfortable shoes, shop late in the day. Feet swell slightly throughout the day, and since prom is invariably an evening activity, looser shoes are preferred. Break in your shoes for several days before prom by wearing them for an hour or two each day, practicing walking, turning, and using stairs. This helps shoes stretch and conform to your feet for different types of movements so that you are graceful and elegant. Be sure to scuff the bottoms of new shoes with coarse sandpaper to provide traction and avoid slipping on the dance floor.

Shoe style is also important for comfort. If you have never worn tall heels, you may not want to wear your first pair to prom. Similarly, if you aren’t used to the tight ties of ballerina slippers or the awkward straps of formal sandals, experimenting may not be wise – you will feel awkward and ungainly, and dancing may be more difficult. Practicing in your shoes for several days helps you adjust to unfamiliar shoes, but it is a good idea to have a more comfortable back-up pair available if necessary.

The prom’s location is a factor in shoe selection. An elegant ballroom with a waxed dance floor may be more difficult to navigate in very high heels, while many stairs can be awkward with unfamiliar shoes. If your shoes are dyed to match your dress color, water or excessive moisture may cause them to bleed or stain. This is a factor if your prom has an outdoor setting where rain or snow may be present. To prevent water damage, spray dyed shoes with water repellant – while not a fool-proof solution, it helps minimize damage. If your prom involves dirt surfaces, including a parking lot, path, or courtyard, sandals may be awkward because dirt can easily get into the shoe and make walking uncomfortable.

Dress length, style, and color are critical to shoe choice. A floor length dress does not require elaborate shoes because they will not be visible. Clunky, highly decorated shoes are out of place with an ankle-length dress because they may be partially obscured or conflict with the dress’s details. Shorter dresses work well with extravagant shoes, depending on the level of detail in the dress itself. In general, simple shoes work best with longer, more elaborate dresses, and vice versa.

Shoe color is a critical choice for a coordinated prom ensemble. Neutral colors such as gold, silver, black, and white work well with any color dress, while colored shoes should match the dress’s tone or be a bit darker. Black shoes should never be worn with pastel dresses unless all accessories (shoes, jewelry, hairpiece, purse, etc.) are coordinated. Dyed shoes are a popular prom choice because they can match the dress exactly. Take care, however, that the company dying the shoes is aware of where the prom is located: colors change appearance in different light, and a perfect indoor match may suddenly clash with a dress in outdoor light. Reputable dyers will dye a test swatch first to insure that it matches the dress color.

A popular trend for prom shoes is clear styles. Made of flexible acrylic and plastic, they coordinate with any style or color of dress and can often be accessorized with ribbons, crystals, anklets, or other embellishments. An economical choice, clear shoes can be used for different dresses and other special events. Many manufacturers add lighting to clear shoes: sensors in the heel initiate flashing lights in different colors with every step, guaranteeing that your prom night sparkles!

No matter which shoes you select, you can enhance them to add individuality and flair to your prom outfit. Crystal and gem letters or numbers can be used to add your graduation year, initials, or nickname, while a stylish anklet can embellish simple shoes without altering them. If you choose open-toed shoes, a pedicure is the perfect pampering accompaniment, complete with polish to match your dress.

Perfect prom shoes are comfortable, easy to dance in, and add a gorgeous finishing touch to a carefully chosen prom dress. Whether they are ballerina flats, strappy sandals, or sharp heels, prom shoes should make any girl light on her feet for an evening of romance, magic, and excitement.