I waited until the very last minute to shop for my wedding shoes. I just didn't have time or patience to shop for something that would remain hidden underneath my wedding gown. And I mean, how hard is it to find neutral 2-inch sandals?
In a word: very.
In the month leading up to my wedding, I spent way too much time searching for comfortable heels that complemented my skin tone, could still be worn after my wedding day, and wouldn't give me blisters. Surprisingly, it was a tall order. Every pair I tried pinched my toes, rubbed against my ankles, or were just too stiff and uncomfortable that I knew my feet wouldn't be able to last more than an hour let alone through my first dance with my husband.
A fellow Insider Reviews editor suggested looking into the Margaux City Sandal ($345), a 2.5-inch leather sandal with a block heel and ankle strap. Margaux's shoes are crafted in family-owned factories in Spain that are responsible for making luxury shoes, but their direct-to-consumer model meant prices were much more reasonable.
The sandal has a chunky heel, thick straps that wrap around the toe, ankle strap, and a 2.5-inch heel height.
The City Sandal has a chunky heel that balances out the 2.5-inch heel height, which isn't considered super-high but still isn't walkable for me either. It also has thick straps that wrap around the almond-shaped toe box so my toes aren't sliding out of the front, and an ankle strap that provides more support. The newer version of the City Sandal has the same features, only with slightly thinner straps. The leather is super soft, and the insole is padded for comfort. The overall design is elegant, classic, and well-designed.
At first, I was hesitant about going higher than 2 inches, but if the shoe is well-constructed, that half-inch difference shouldn't be a big deal. And since our team loved their Demi flat so much that it still ranks among our favorite flats, I expected the City Sandal to be somewhat comfortable.
I wore the Margaux City Sandal right out of the box for my wedding, and even after 10 hours, my feet didn't hurt or get any blisters.
I tried on the Margaux sandals when it arrived just a few days before my wedding and thought they were comfortable, but I brought an old pair of sandals with me to Canada (where I was getting married) just in case.
That wound up being a waste of space because I ended up wearing Margaux City Sandals for a pre-wedding welcome event, rehearsal dinner, and the entire 10+ hour wedding day, and my feet came out unscathed. I even stashed a bunch of bandages in the pockets of my wedding dress but didn't need to use a single one.
The day after my wedding, my feet were sore because I was standing up for long periods of time, but they weren't in pain because of the shoes. I wanted to remember all the good stuff from my wedding — not the fact that I was hobbling around all day. The 2.5-inch height was surprisingly comfortable because of the thick block heel, and I didn't find myself needing to change into my backup shoes or sneakers before hitting the dance floor.
I've worn the sandals after my wedding too, and they look great with casual dresses and more formal looks.
I wanted a pair of sandals that I could wear even after my wedding, and the classic look and neutral color of these make it possible to wear with casual dresses for work or even something dressier for date night.
While $345 is a lot to pay for dress shoes that no one else can see underneath your bridal gown, it's actually a reasonable amount to pay for something that I can wear long after my wedding. They're elegant and well-designed, and more important, were immediately comfortable and didn't give me blisters even after being on my feet for over 10 hours.
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