The Sole Around My Brain is Quite Thick

I am a few standard deviations below the national IQ when it comes to shoes. I committed sins like wearing gym socks with any shoe, not just sneakers (and fugly shoes at that), which led me to the totally self-created and false belief that my feet were a good whole size above my actual shoe size. People, this lasted into my twenties. This is embarrassing.

I am also a wuss about wearing heels. My knees hurt even thinking about it.  Oh of course, once in a while I would stray and buy a pair of cute heels, usually for work, only to end up hating myself as I slowly pried the shoe from my bloody foot at the end of a day.

Source (I know, a little gross, but I think it's funny--it's fake! Don't panic!)

 
So after all these lessons learned and the bitterness with which I regard my past cobbler foibles, what do you think I decided to do for my wedding? Yep, you guessed it! I'm wearing HEELS! Not just any heels, but 3.5" heels! 

I searched high and low (I mean, as high and low as one can go without leaving the comfortable butt imprint on her chair in front of the computer) for shoes under $100. I did not want satin shoes, since all I will almost certainly snag and stain them. I preferred peep toes to relieve a bit of the pressure caused by walking in heels. And I wanted color, like many other brides.

Something like this would have been lovely (Christian Louboutin slingbacks):

Source

Note: I once went apesh%t at a Bergdorf Goodman designer shoe mega "sale" ("sale" meant 65% marked down from $1000) and giggled maniacally while trying on dozens of shoes.  However, these CL's broke two of my rules.  Not only were they satin, but practically bazooka-ed my $100 rule.

These Chinese Laundry shoes were a much more affordable option, for $19.95 from 6pm.com:

At some point in life, my sister had a bloody and blistery battle with a tenacious set of Chinese Laundry shoes and forbade me from buying these (how you like that alliteration, btw?).

This Cynthia Rowley pair was nice, and only a smidgen above my budget at $112 at 6pm.com:

However, still over budget.  Eventually, I found these Tahari slingbacks at DSW ($75; no longer available):

Yipee! I have been occasionally wearing the shoes around the apartment to break them in and train myself to walk in heels in a manner that doesn't look like my kneecaps are falling off.

Did you break out of your usual habits in buying shoes for your wedding?