Review: Solemates High Heelers

A Bride On A Budget received these products for review. All thoughts and opinions belong to ABOAB.

I ended up with three pairs of shoes on my wedding day. It's not that I was trying to have a trio of costume changes for my feet and, honestly, I don't even think people knew. It was just that different parts of the day required different footwear, so I came prepared.

I started the day in my wedding heels. I wore them for the church ceremony and our bridal party photos (which we took on a boardwalk and then on a cobblestone street ... you know, great places for heels). Our reception venue was on the beach, so when we took photos out there, I wore white flip flops. And then, during the reception (when everyone was getting down on the dance floor), I changed into personalized Converse that Pete and I created ourselves.

Even though I only wore them for the first third of the wedding festivities, my poor wedding heels look beat up.

The bottoms (where Pinterest tells me brides are supposed to have their bridesmaid sign their names) are completely scuffed up. The sole of the heel is pretty dark (although it did hold up pretty well considering Pete and I played a round of hopscotch during our photos).

What's troublesome to me is that the bottom of the heel itself is really dirty. The shoes I bought (and had dyed to match the bridesmaids' dresses and groomsmen's tuxedo vests and ties) aren't waterproof. I knew I wouldn't be running in the beach with them (although I did do a shoe change, just to be extra safe), but any sort of moisture ruined the dye. Not that anyone but me is really going to be inspecting the heels, but I'm sort of bummed.

It makes me wish I had Solemates High Heelers before my wedding

The High Heelers, made of plastic, are available in three sizes (narrow, classic, and wide) and four colors (clear, silver, black, and gold). The concept is simple: slide the Solemates High Heeler onto the heel and protect your heel from sinking into grass, getting ruined on cobblestone, and pretty much just keep you protect from normal (wedding) wear and tear.

I didn't have these until after my wedding, so I grabbed my wedding heels to try it out.

The Solemates High Heeler wouldn't fit on my heel. I tried the classic first and it was too small, so I grabbed the wide. It, also, was too small and, I'm not sure how well you can see it, but it took a small bite out of my heel, leaving a white spot. My heart sunk. I quickly rubbed my finger on it to try to fix it, which pretty much did, and then I snapped this shot.

I figured that I might be better off testing these on a pair of heels that is less sentimental.

I grabbed my favorite pair of heels (which I actually ended up wearing for our rehearsal dinner, but since I've had them for years and wore them to tons of other occasions, I wouldn't be too upset if the heel got bit also).

I tried the narrow one first and though these heels appear thin, they're not thin enough. I grabbed the classic and those slid on easily.

The Solemates High Heelers give a lot of stability to the heel. It increases the size of the bottom of the heel substantially, which is cool. Because it creates a base platform, your heel won't sink into the grass (or, I would guess, cracks on the sidewalk too). It's a great concept and pretty undetectable as compared to its counterparts. The Solemates Shoe Essentials pack would have definitely helped with the scuff on the bottom of my shoes. The pack contains a pair ball of foot cushions, a pair of heel cushions, and a pair of anti skid pads. The latter is what goes on the bottom of your shoe, which would definitely protect the base. I actually used Dr. Scholl's ball of foot cushions in my wedding heels to help a little bit with sizing and a little bit with slipping (or, well, making sure I didn't slip). I am obsessed with putting them in my heels. I use them all the time. They're removable, so I just switch them between pairs. The ones in the Solemates Shoe Essentials pack aren't removable, so make sure you put them in the right way when you use them (you'd think it's a no brainer, but in the intensity of wedding morning, my mom actually put them in my shoes upside down. So, there I was, wedding morning, about to walk out the door, stopped, plopped down in my wedding dress, flipping around ball of foot cushions.

Such a funny moment, caught by one of our amazing photographers (plus, what an unsuspecting shot of my shoes, huh?).
BRIDAL BABBLE: How often do you wear heels?