A bride holds out her sunlit wedding dress while revealing hiking boots. — Your shoe choice plays a big role in keeping you prepared and comfortable on your big day!

If you’re reading this, you’re probably thinking of ditching ceramic tiles and linoleum for grass and stone. You’re an adventurer who wants to immerse in nature and connect your soul in epic, wild places. You want to blend fierceness and beauty, strength and sophistication. You dream of a queen’s gown blowing in the wind, with practical shoes that say “Yeah I just did that.”

Because you could, in fact, do that.

Because of those shoes.

Your shoe choice may add to the personality, vibe, and location of your shoot.

Or it may take away from the shoot altogether if you could never make it there in the first place.

So let’s talk about your sole.

A close-up shot of the hiking shoes of a bride and groom as they walk in front of an arch in Moab, Utah. — Dressy and durable shoes do exist! And even look great with both suit and dress.

Speaking to Your Sole

This is going to be short, sweet, and easy on the feet. In adventure elopements, your wedding shoes matter more how they feel and perform than in how they look.

A bride holds up the bottom of her dress while hiking over a river in her hiking boots. — Some elopement adventures require hiking over slippery rocks, through mud, and on uneven terrain.

I’ll say it again: don’t compromise comfort and practicality over style.

I’m not saying you can’t have it all, and there are some awesome brands with it all! I’ll talk more on that below, but for the sake of all you dream to do beyond a marble-floored venue, you’re going to want something more hearty than a pair of stilettos. Even if we are just walking a short distance to an overlook, there are things to look out for in the outdoors, such as:

Mud 🐷
Puddles 💧
Rock 🪨
Gravel 🥾
Ice 🧊
Stream crossings 🌊
Uneven terrain ⛰️
Squishy terrain 🏖️
Dog/wildlife poo 💩

While hopefully your elopement day won’t have all of these at once, it’s quite possible, so it’s very important to be prepared!

A bride and groom rappel through a canyon and stop to kiss. — It’s important that your shoes are not just capable for your adventure, but comfortable and true-to-you too!

Different Terrain, Different Game

This might go without saying, but the reason why those strappy, bejeweled stilettos won’t be so wonderful in the wild is mostly due to support, surface-area, and tread.

Support

Dress shoes are usually made for short standings and small walks within an office or event, and don’t provide comfort details for longer standings activities. Outdoor-specific shoes are often made with extra arch support, overall foot-cushion, breathability vents, and wider toe boxes for flexibility.

Surface-Area

This is mostly for traditional women’s shoes, but the higher and skinnier the heel, the less surface area the soles of your feet have on the ground (plus higher risk for rolled ankles — yikes!). This hinders both grip and support, especially if walking a lot or climbing up hills, on rocks, and over uneven terrain.

Tread

Most nicer dress shoes are smooth on the bottom, which also means more slick. These may have enough grip for a controlled building floor, but in the uncontrolled outdoor elements, there is a much higher risk for slipping.

Bonus: Waterproofing

Some outdoor shoes have water-resistance or water-proofing materials, which comes in clutch for any chances of rain, snow, or stream-crossings.

Wet feet is what I like to call Type II fun: slightly still fun… but not really.

Mitigate the Risk

You may not notice if your shoes are in many of the photos, but you will notice if there’s crazy mud on your dress, hair, or face (which hey, maybe you’d like!). Your level of fun will also quickly decline if you get a blister or soggy feet just steps into your mile hike.

Something more pressing are potential injuries from a slip or fall, which is where proper shoe support, surface-area, and tread come in.

Switch it Out

Depending on the timeline and logistics, you may be able to stash an extra pair of shoes in your car or pack. So those absolutely killer-looking dressy boots you wanted to wear? Bring them along, and change into them at the ceremony location!

Yaktrax to the Rescue

There have been several elopements where these literally saved the bride from multiple slips and falls. Yaktrax, also known as ice cleats or shoe spikes, strap onto the outside of your soles and use stubby metal bits to provide excellent grippy traction over mild terrain. These are especially a necessity if your elopement shoes don’t have tread on the bottom. This is also why it’s important to wear durable shoes that can take a little bit of stress from the Yak-Trak’s elastic frame. They pack up nicely in a little baggy that you can take on all your travels! I always keep at least one pair in my bag — and have needed them more than I’d expect.

Brands I recommend

Any brand will do; what’s important is that it fits and feels comfortable to you! When trying on boots, make sure to walk around the store and notate any pain points, like constant heel slipping (high risk for blisters), material creases that dig into the ankle, toes, etc., or cramped toes that hits the end of the shoes. Here are just a few well-recommended brands for inspriation:

**Blundstone Boots**
The hybrid of versatility and style, these high-topped, waterproof dress shoes have a durable sole with tough tread to get you up rocks and through mud — all while looking classy. I’ve seen a lot of brides, especially, wearing these as they give that tough, outdoor feel without being a straight sneaker. Plus, they pair really well with both suit and dress.

**Red Wing Heritage Shoes**

Don’t ya just love a rugged boot with a heel?! These guys pull off the tough, chic look, all while providing waterproof versatility and grippy Vibram soles. Comes in a variety of colors and styles!

**L.L. Bean Boots**

The “Bean Boot” is another serious competitor of both that classic look while still being durable enough for your next adventure — rain, sun, snow, or shine!

There are a ton of other brands out there that are great at combining class with outdoor practicality, so long as they have those three key elements of support, surface-area, and tread. I recommend talking to a shoe expert or specialist at any shoe store for more tips and recommendations.

For outdoor-specific brands, you can’t go wrong with nation-wide REI!

A foot shot of a bride and groom standing near each other, showing off their hiking boots. — At the end of the day, you’ll be much happier having chose a reliable shoe that both elevates your adventure and makes you look like a badass!

To wrap it up, the last thing I want you thinking about on your wedding day is your feet. Comical now, but won’t be in the moment if you’re not prepared! Take your time trying on different styles and brands until you find one that just fits. If you’re concerned about the look, ask your friends and family for opinions; but remember, anything you wore that got you there—in comfort and without distraction—is worth every moment on your adventure of a lifetime.

And all while wearing a dress? Heck to the yeah!! 💃