What Shoes Should You Wear with an Evening Dress? Tips And Tricks To Find The Right Shoe

If you're planning to wear a formal evening dress to an event, you need to think about what shoes you should wear. There are many different ways to wear an evening dress, and as such, there are dozens of options for what shoes you can pair with it. There is, of course, some rhyme and reason behind every shoe style & evening dress pairing. Factors such as heel height, color, and height all come into play during every choice.

Here's everything you need to know about which shoes you should wear with an evening dress.

What Color Of Shoes Should You Pair With an Evening Dress?

The color of the shoe you choose should complement your evening dress and match your accessories. Black is safe and can pair well with most dresses. However, it's too conventional and laid back for an evening event.

Try out silver shoes to add more character to a white dress or an outfit in pastel colors. A pair of gold shoes will brighten a dark outfit. If you are feeling extra adventurous, try colored shoes, as these work with bold-colored outfits and patterns.  

Choose a Heel Height That You Can Comfortably Walk In

There's a new trend in town, and you've probably noticed it: more and more women and girls are wearing flats (including sneakers) with their dresses — even evening dresses. Some celebrities even choose to take off their high-heeled shoes on the red carpet.

And who can blame them, or you, for wanting nothing to do with high heels? Heels may look very elegant, but they aren't for everyone. If you're not confident in your ability to walk in heels, or if you don't want to deal with the hassle of dealing with blisters and broken nails, then it's best to skip on high heels.

If your evening looks better with heels, go no higher than 3 inches. Better yet, opt for a pair of custom-made platform heels.

Consider The Hem Length Of Your Dress When Deciding on Heel Height

Typically, you can play around with any heel length if your evening dress is shorter than knee-length. Flats can look great with short dresses but go for heels if you want to accentuate your silhouette. If you choose high heels, dark, closed-toe heels are the best option for the evening. They're the most formal and classy choice, and they allow you to show off your legs in their full glory. Just keep in mind what we've already discussed about heel height.

If the hemline of your dress is sweeping the floor, choose a heel height that will not interfere with the dress length. A very low heel may cause your dress to drag on the floor and trip you while you're walking around. On the other hand, a very high heel may make your dress appear shorter and awkward.

Consider The Right Shoe Style

It's important to choose a shoe that matches your dress. In other words, if you're wearing an elegant evening dress, then wear shoes that are elegant as well. The wrong shoe style will tone down the appearance of your dress. The right shoe style will enhance your look, making you feel confident.

Consider how these shoe styles to pair with your evening dress:

Strappy sandals

Dressing well for an evening event means finding the perfect balance between comfort and looking classy and chic. One of the most popular accessories you can wear with an elegant evening dress is a pair of strappy sandals. You can choose from a wide variety of styles—from high heels to ankle strap sandals. Strappy sandals give your outfit that little extra something while staying true to your elegant style.

Slingback heels

It's quite tempting to wear flats with your evening dress if heels freak you out or if you aren't all that adventurous about fashion. But flats are a big no-no, as you will fail to match the elegance of your dress if you don't wear heels with them.

Sling-back heels are as close as you'll come to flats. These types of shoes will be the easiest for you to walk in for the night, and they'll also make it easy for you to dance without worrying about tripping up constantly. Sign-back heels are trendy, versatile, and classy, and they look quite elegant even with a low heel. Some of them feature jewel straps, glitter, or patterns, which improve their appearance even more. Since slingback heels tend to be less chunky than most shoes, they offer just the right amount of protection without making your feet too uncomfortable.

Pumps

Pumps are a woman's statement shoe of choice. Since their invention, pumps have evolved to accommodate different women's tastes, styles, foot shapes, foot sizes, and stature.

If you are short, wearing pumps with a pointed toe will make your legs appear longer. Nude pumps also give the illusion of length, making your legs look more elegant. Nudes can, however, look too subdued for glamorous events that call for more color, detail, and glitz.

If you are tall and don't want to appear taller in your short evening dress, heels with ankle straps will cut your legs at the ankles to 'reduce' length. Ankle straps, however, have the opposite effect on a short person.

A wider foot will look more flattering in round-toed pumps; a longer heel will give the foot the right tilt, taking away attention from the width of the foot.

Wedges

Wedges rarely come to mind when you think of the best shoes to wear with an evening dress because most wedges are meant to be casual wear. But you can wear wedges with an evening dress or for a formal occasion. To look stunning and exquisite in wedges, find a wedged heel with more of an arch—a flat wedge borders more on the casual.

Strappy wedged shoes and slingbacks will complement your evening look as long as the sole isn't chunky. Jeweled detailing adds more glamor to wedges, making them ideal for any special occasion.

Peep toes

If you need shoes that are less dressy and more casual, peep-toe heels are a great option. They offer a good amount of height and are super simple to wear. Plus, they're an all-time classic shape, so if you love this style and want to keep things on the simpler side, this is a great choice.

Conclusion

Investing in a pair of shoes is not always the easiest decision to make, especially when you want to dress to impress. Hopefully, the tips we have discussed above will point you in the right direction. But in case you're always a little "extra" and need more tips to work with, here's some additional insight to help you out:

• If you're wearing a formal gown with a high slit, then you want something with a low heel and thin wedge to elongate your leg line while still maintaining its elegance.
• If you're wearing an evening dress with a long train, you'll need something with solid straps and comfortable heels. A low-heeled pump also works well if there aren't any slits in your gown.

That's it! It's time to find the perfect shoe to wear with your evening dress!