A wedding is an auspicious occasion and a very special day for the happy couple promising their lives to one another. While all view this day as a celebration, we cannot deny the immense pressure for the bride and groom to look their best.
One pressure that falls particularly on the groom that many may not think of until it’s too late is the need to appear taller than his bride, especially in the wedding photos. While many men, including Short Kings, marry a woman shorter than them, they may not anticipate the height added by their bride’s wedding heels. While being shorter or the same height as their fairer partner may not be a hang-up for some men, we know a lot who would prefer it not to be the case. Fortunately, there are some options in regard to keeping one’s height in order on this very special day.
Without further ado, let’s look into how the groom can increase his height or at least maintain his height advantage. We’ll also be exploring some great choices for the bride. After all, we can’t make it too easy on him.
Shoes For The Groom
First, let’s start off by saying regular dress shoes naturally increase height. The heel in the back offers the slightest boost to the wearing, which may be enough to boost their confidence without further stress.
For those who really need more than the small increase normal dress shoes offer, we have two possible avenues to venture. Though, we will say one is more appealing than the other.
Optimal Heel Height
With regular dress shoes, the heel height is a very important factor. If the heel is too tall, while it may add a few extra inches, it becomes very visible, making what the wearer is trying to do overly obvious.
Sadly, for us men, if the height increase looks manufactured, then it doesn’t count. This means there is a limit to how tall we can allow the heels to be. One way around this would be wearing a suit with flared bottoms, but unless we’re planning a 70s-themed wedding, people might just know what’s going on here.
For the majority of us who are choosing a more conventional theme, the furthest we could probably allow a dress shoe heel to go would be 2”, which would be pushing the envelope.
Try A Conzuri Dress Shoe?
Platform wedding shoes should be discreet; otherwise, what’s the point? This means what we’re really in the market for is a shoe with a hidden height boosting insole. Think of it this way—Regular heels put the wearer on their tip toes, which is what makes them taller. The higher the heel, the higher their tip toes are. The problem here is it’s apparent since the heels are on the outside of the shoe. With a hidden insole designed to elevate one’s height, the wearer is still on their tip toes but inside the shoe. The outer heel looks normal, so it looks like natural height.
The problem with most height increasing shoes built this way is they don’t do a very good job of hiding the insole. The shoe has to be built in a certain way where there is enough room inside the shoe for the wearer to be on their toes. Fortunately, as time progresses, new shoe brands have gotten better at designing a shoe that offers maximum discretion. One such brand is Conzuri, a UK company that now sells its height boosting shoes worldwide.
Conzuri sells shoes in all categories, from sneakers to boots to sandals and, yes, dress shoes. Each dress shoe offers an additional 2.75” in discreet height.
Which Pairs Would Make The Best Wedding Shoes?
The online shop has a few pairs to choose from, all made from high quality materials. Question is, which pair would make the best secret platform wedding shoes?
Let’s take a look at some of their best options:
In our opinion, the ideal wedding shoe must be simple yet elegant. There’s no need to have all this extra broguing on a wedding shoe. Instead, it’s better to have a smooth leather shoe with a bit of sheen to it.
For this reason, we have selected the three shoes in the picture above as the best choice for our Short King grooms.
The Riesco: One of the few Conzuri dress shoes that have a choice of colour. Buyers can get this shoe in either black or brown. Here at ItStartsWithTheShoes, we prefer the brown version of this shoe as the shade is quite delightful, and the laces’ colour combination just works. This is also the only brown shoe that made it on our list of top 3 wedding shoes, which makes them that much more special. These are perfect for anyone wearing a navy blue suit. The ideal summer wedding shoe for anyone going for a lighter, seasonal colour scheme, such as beige, tan or cream.
The Monaco: The Monaco stands as our most glamorous dress shoe, suited for the most extravagant black tie events. This, of course, also means it’s perfect for weddings. The shiny black leather fits seamlessly with the standard black suit or even a tux for those gentlemen who want to go the extra mile on their special day.
The Linosa: This pair is a great middle-ground shoe. Many suits don’t fit with the Monaco on account that they’re too shiny, and there are a few of us who would prefer to wear black shoes on their wedding day over brown. The Linosa dress shoe is the perfect compromise. A shoe such as this can be worn with the same navy blue suit as the Riesco can, and it suits pastel schemes exceptionally well. Anyone aiming to wear a light colour, such as sage green or pink, will be very happy with these dress shoes.
Amazing Reviews
For any sceptics out there who worry these shoes might not deliver the height boosting experience they say they do, we have you covered! All Conzuri shoes receive gleaming reviews on both Trustpilot and their official site.
Most complaints regarded the subject of size. At first, Conzuri only catered to sizes going up to UK8/US9. Many found this too limiting and reached out to the company so they would offer more sizes, which they do now. Conzuri shoes now go up to size UK12/US13.
Heels For The Bride
Ladies, of course, we weren’t going to leave you out of this one! While we need to give the grooms a fighting chance, it’s still your day, too, and we could be remiss not to mention some of the stunning options available. There are so many ways to truly showcase the image of feminine elegance, from pearl earrings to stunning jewellery gifted by the groom’s mother. Finding the perfect look is often a puzzle, and takes a keen eye to see all the pieces. Bridal wedding shoes are an essential piece of this puzzle, whether they are heeled or flats.
Bridal shoes come in all shapes and sizes, but all must have one thing in common. They all have to complement the wedding dress. The kind of shoes that should be worn will likely depend on the style of dress that has been chosen. Many dresses will hide the shoes anyway, but for those who want their shoes showcased, we’ll dive into them now.
First, does a wedding shoe have to be a heel? Absolutely not; there are countless flats that will match perfectly with the dress and will provide maximum comfort. Remember, a wedding is an all-day affair, so it might be wise to choose a comfortable pair of shoes.
ASOS offers a wide selection of bridal shoes at an affordable price, like these white satin BEBO flats or this pair of ivory flats. But for anyone who wants to aim for a higher price, there are sites such as Kaileep that offer an elegant selection of bridal footwear.
Such flats come in elegant colours such as ivory and will match with all manner of wedding dresses. Each of these shoes has handmade outsoles; pears and rhinestones line the uppers along with delicate crochet lacing.
Platform Heels
Still, there are many out there who want to look stunning on that aisle and think the only way to do that is to wear heels. So be it; give your Short King groom some competition!
ASOS has a variety of bridal heels available at very affordable prices, most costing under £50. While much of the selection is white, they do offer more colours, especially something blue.
Again, for a more custom flavour, Kaileep, of course, has heels. All silhouettes are delightfully feminine and easy to wear. The online shoemakers offer a range of heights for their heels, with some only adding 2” while others add 3.5.”
For those who want a heel but know they won’t be able to wear them all day, there is a compromise. Lots of brides wear their heels for the ceremony and for the wedding photos, then slip into flats for the reception.
The Perfect Alternative For The Alt Bride
Of course, not all of us want to follow the mainstream. Some of us very much like walking against the current and aim to make our wedding more about who we are over tradition. It’s valid. After all, it is your wedding.
Some of the most common alternative wedding shoes are Dr Martens, especially for those goth girls we’re all praying for. If someone is going for this particular style, we suggest going all out! Yes, keep the white dress, but wear it with black fishnets and lipstick. The Bride of Chucky will be so proud.
The best part about DMs is they come in various heights, so platforms are very much still on the table. In fact, if we’re leaning into this style, the higher platforms the better.
Common Alternatives For Men
Of course, a common alternative for a groom’s wedding shoe is the Nike Air Force 1, but can you add a couple of inches to your height and still rock these sneakers? The answer is yes! Height boosting insoles can be placed in shoes like these to give the wearer that extra boost they’re looking for. AF1s are actually one of the few low-tops that pull off any hidden height boost since their structure is very solid and their topline is on the higher side of a low-top. Still, the highest we can get with this is an additional 1.5” to 2.”
We suggest another sneaker. One with just as much wedding clout as the Air Force 1s. One that was actually designed when Micheal himself asked Tinker Hatfield to make him a shoe he could wear with a suit. Of course, we’re talking about the Jordan 11s, specifically the Concord colourway.
With a high-top like the 11s, a Short King can pull off the 3” Conzuri insoles without being noticed. The build of the shoe will also be solid enough not to allow your elevated foot to push too harshly against the tongue.
We hear wedding bells! The date is set, and the shoes are secured, and now, both the bride and groom can enjoy their special day at the height of their confidence. Save us some cake.
