# Wedding photographers, what shoes are you wearing?



## William Petruzzo

Last night was a the last straw. I've been shooting weddings nearly every weekend in a pair of Payless dress shoes. Following morning: Feet are still killing me.

So, weird as it may be to ask about shoes here, what kind of shoes get you through the wedding day without killing your feet?


----------



## CSR Studio

I wear a low heel, I'm a female. It is part of the sacrifice of being a wedding photographer. But I gotta tell you, I have great calf muscles!


----------



## Dagwood56

Speaking from the stand point of an observer {wedding guest}, I have attended several weddings where the photgrapher was in a pair of comfy Nike's.


----------



## CSR Studio

Dagwood56 said:


> Speaking from the stand point of an observer {wedding guest}, I have attended several weddings where the photgrapher was in a pair of comfy Nike's.


 
I would never, that is very unprofessional.


----------



## William Petruzzo

Dagwood56 said:


> Speaking from the stand point of an observer {wedding guest}, I have attended several weddings where the photgrapher was in a pair of comfy Nike's.



Depending on the couple and how edgy they are I can sometimes get away with something like this--wearing all black sneakers. But most weddings don't allow for that kind of thing.


----------



## rufus5150

Speaking as someone who is currently living with two intermetatarsal neuromas and exploring various surgical options (the conservative treatments thus far have been a failure), get an excellent pair of shoes and get fitted for at least off-the-shelf *good* orthotics (places like InStep can do this for you) if not shell out the change for custom-fit ones... mine were $485 including the fitting and they're good for about 10 years. Your feet will thank you.


----------



## brettmc

I am a pharmacist on my feet all day while having to maintain a professional appearance.  I've found borne slip on dress shoes are great, a lot of cushion and fit nicely.  Some of the style can get up to ~$100 but you can find them on sale for ~$60 if you look hard enough


----------



## dtzitko

I don't shoot weddings, or anything professionally for that matter. But in my experience with shoes...dress, running, sandals, etc... You get what you pay for. The quality of shoes you wear affects more than just your feet. I'd suggest shopping around various places for some quality dress shoes. Sorry, but Payless may have shoes that look nice and last long and are cheap. But they don't provide the comfort you would get with a nice, and for lack of better term...expensive, pair of shoes. I spent $100 (which really isn't all that much for dress shoes these days) on a pair of leather soled dress shoes a couple months ago, expensive? yes. But I think they are comfortable and my feet don't hurt after I wear them. Last I wore them was to a wedding, I was in them from noon until about 3 am. My feet felt perfectly normal the next day. I'm also 23 years old and in decent shape, that might help my cause.

Moral of the story: Shell out the extra cash for a good pair of shoes. You get what you pay for.


----------



## UUilliam

CSR Studio said:


> Dagwood56 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Speaking from the stand point of an observer {wedding guest}, I have attended several weddings where the photgrapher was in a pair of comfy Nike's.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I would never, that is very unprofessional.
Click to expand...

http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/fame.../tony-hawk-pregnant-wife-skate-pro-father.jpg

Un professional?
He wears skate shoes EVERYWHERE he even wore them when meeting the president
Same as myself mindyou (uh.. not the president part )

As long as you dont go out dressed in black suit with white trainers/sneakers then it is okay, try keep to the dresscode colours (generally black pants/ trousers and shirt / white shirt so black shoes would do!)
Also cnavas shoes are good, only cost about £7 over here ($12.50)


----------



## Buckster

I don't shoot weddings either, but I've had jobs that required me to be in a suit and on my feet all day.

That said, I have one word for you: Rockports.


----------



## beni_hung

Dockers makes some pretty comfy shoes. I don't do weddings, but as an insurance adjuster I am always on my feet in different terrains and they did me well while still looking professional.


----------



## den9

i would wear some all black classic reeboks or something, but i would honest pick up a decent brand, dr martens seem like a decent brand. for my profession i wear work boots, 10 hours a day on your feet, 200 bucks for pair of boots are justifiable.


----------



## Flash Harry

The most comfortable pair I can get away with, usually a plain dark trainer and till recently, when my son decided he liked them, a pair of caterpiller shoes, really comfy. H


----------



## CSR Studio

UUilliam said:


> CSR Studio said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Dagwood56 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Speaking from the stand point of an observer {wedding guest}, I have attended several weddings where the photgrapher was in a pair of comfy Nike's.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I would never, that is very unprofessional.
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> http://www.babble.com/CS/blogs/fame.../tony-hawk-pregnant-wife-skate-pro-father.jpg
> 
> Un professional?
> He wears skate shoes EVERYWHERE he even wore them when meeting the president
> Same as myself mindyou (uh.. not the president part )
> 
> As long as you dont go out dressed in black suit with white trainers/sneakers then it is okay, try keep to the dresscode colours (generally black pants/ trousers and shirt / white shirt so black shoes would do!)
> Also cnavas shoes are good, only cost about £7 over here ($12.50)
Click to expand...

 
Yes, very unprofessional. 

Then again what else do you expect from him?


----------



## photo28

As long as you look neat and in the style it doesn't really matter (at least from my POV).

If I were to choose I'd go with this http://www.slowtrains.com/images/george.jpg suit and some white shoes with gel pads.


----------



## c.cloudwalker

I would rather be unprofessional than kill my feet. But to each his/her own.

That said DocMartens used to be the shoe of choice for people working on their feet such as bartenders, waiters, etc. Their choice of dressy looking shoes was fairly small but all you need is one pair.

To be honest, the way to go is with custom made shoes. I know it seems expensive to most people but it is your feet. And it is not that bad, price wise, once the first pair is made.


----------



## CSR Studio

c.cloudwalker said:


> I would rather be unprofessional than kill my feet. But to each his/her own.
> 
> That said DocMartens used to be the shoe of choice for people working on their feet such as bartenders, waiters, etc. Their choice of dressy looking shoes was fairly small but all you need is one pair.
> 
> To be honest, the way to go is with custom made shoes. I know it seems expensive to most people but it is your feet. And it is not that bad, price wise, once the first pair is made.


 
You mean be comfortable and not get the job. If I showed up at the Cherokee Town Club with tennis shoes on, I wouldn't be able to get it. How can I photograph if I can't get in?


----------



## kwik

A nice black running shoe/skate shoe works for me.  I'm on my feet hours upon hours every day.  I also served for 10 years.  The bride and groom will be way to busy to even care what's on your feet anyway. All they want is the end product.  

Now I'm not saying show up in a mustard stained white muscle shirt.  But honestly as long as the shirt and pants look good I don't think most people would care what's on your feet.  Again like I said. As long as the bride and groom get the end result they won't care what's on the photographers feet.  I know I didn't. 



c.cloudwalker said:


> I would rather be unprofessional than kill my feet. But to each his/her own.


Exactly!  A clean pair of black shoes that fits right is the way to go.


----------



## USAF-SSgt

I would have to give another nod to the Rockports.  THey are by-far the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn and they last for a long time.  

Another option is you can wear a BRIGHT hawaiian shirt and no one would notice your shoes, they'd be too busy staring at your shirt.


----------



## existence02

I am in no way a pro, but speaking solely as someone who was married only a year ago and as a guest at many other weddings I couldn't tell you what a single photographer was wearing anywhere especially on their feet.

As the groom I was far more concerned about my wife and making sure our wedding went perfect than that the photographer was wearing. As it related to the photographer I was more concerned with his product than his appearance.

What I've found in my jobs have been if I'm uncomfortable I'm more irritable and prone to making stupid mistakes. I do my best work when I'm relaxed and comfortable. If wearing tennis shoes makes you more comfortable and allows you to focus more on your work go for it. I see no problem with a simple plain dark pair of tennis shoes that won't clash with your pants.


----------



## Big Mike

I used to wear dress shoes when shooting weddings, but I never really had a good pair, so my feet would hurt and they would wear out.  I did use fresh insoles quite often, so that did help.  Also, they were sometimes noisy and didn't have enough traction for some of the situations we were shooting in.  

Lately, I've been wearing some casual looking hiking shoes.  They are very light and ventilated almost to the point of being sandals.  Very comfortable and quite.  

If I do know that we will be shooting in a ritzy location, I'll bring appropriate attire, but lately, the trend has been to dress for comfort and functionality...after all, I'm not *in* the photos.


----------



## thenikonguy

I have a very bad back (3 herniated disks, waiting forever for surgery) I HAVE to wear good shoes.. or at least good insoles.. my last wedding that I shot, I wore Chucks, with my berkinstock insoles in them.. the wedding before that, I work my birkenstocks.. 

I've never once had a person complain about what I wear, mainly because, they aren't looking at me..  I usually wear khaki pants and a nice white golf shirt, and, if its the summer, my birks, or, I'll wear my chucks with my insoles..


----------



## inTempus

Do your feet a favor and get a pair of Ecco's. 

I walk a lot and often wear dress shoes.  I struggled with breaking a new pair of shoes in... I HATED it.  It was the part of shoe shopping I dreaded most... wondering if and how long it would take to break a new pair in.

Then a friend told me about Ecco's.  I thought *yeah right*... a pair of factory shoes that fit like a glove and don't need to be broken in.  I bought a pair 10 years ago.  I have nothing but Ecco's now.


----------



## thenikonguy

inTempus said:


> Do your feet a favor and get a pair of Ecco's.
> 
> I walk a lot and often wear dress shoes.  I struggled with breaking a new pair of shoes in... I HATED it.  It was the part of shoe shopping I dreaded most... wondering if and how long it would take to break a new pair in.
> 
> Then a friend told me about Ecco's.  I thought *yeah right*... a pair of factory shoes that fit like a glove and don't need to be broken in.  I bought a pair 10 years ago.  I have nothing but Ecco's now.



whats the sole like in those? I need proper arches otherwise my back goes all to heck..


----------



## c.cloudwalker

CSR Studio said:


> You mean be comfortable and not get the job. If I showed up at the Cherokee Town Club with tennis shoes on, I wouldn't be able to get it. How can I photograph if I can't get in?



Obviously not but there is a difference between one wedding and every one of them. If it was the only place in town where weddings happen however, I would switch my type of photography


----------



## thenikonguy

c.cloudwalker said:


> CSR Studio said:
> 
> 
> 
> You mean be comfortable and not get the job. If I showed up at the Cherokee Town Club with tennis shoes on, I wouldn't be able to get it. How can I photograph if I can't get in?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Obviously not but there is a difference between one wedding and every one of them. If it was the only place in town where weddings happen however, I would switch my type of photography
Click to expand...



LOL


----------



## Dao

Look for a shoe brand called Cole Haan.  They have dress shoes that have Nike Air cushioning build in the shoes (can't tell from the outside) for men and women.  Including high heels !


----------



## CSR Studio

c.cloudwalker said:


> CSR Studio said:
> 
> 
> 
> You mean be comfortable and not get the job. If I showed up at the Cherokee Town Club with tennis shoes on, I wouldn't be able to get it. How can I photograph if I can't get in?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Obviously not but there is a difference between one wedding and every one of them. If it was the only place in town where weddings happen however, I would switch my type of photography
Click to expand...

 
It's not just there, I was giving that as an example. I shoot quite a few at the Town Club. I must be shooting more high end weddings.


----------



## J Hobson

CSR Studio said:


> UUilliam said:
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> CSR Studio said:
> 
> 
> 
> Yes, very unprofessional.
> 
> Then again what else do you expect from him?
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I agree with both statements.
> I did weddings for 9 years. I wore Florsheim shoes. And yes my feet hurt at the end of the day.  I took it as part of the job.
> 
> Click to expand...
Click to expand...


----------



## c.cloudwalker

CSR Studio said:


> It's not just there, I was giving that as an example. I shoot quite a few at the Town Club. I must be shooting more high end weddings.



I'll say more formal maybe because I don't know what a high end wedding is. 

Once I figured out how I wanted to do weddings most of mine came through my commercial work and most of my B&Gs were "artsier" people.


----------



## thenikonguy

J Hobson said:


> And yes my feet hurt at the end of the day.  I took it as part of the job.



sorry friend, but, I don't agree with this statement at all..  your health is probably one of the most important things in your life.. and if you want to believe that its ok for you to be in pain while doing your job, thats your business, but, I, for one, will not give up my health for a job.. 

I currently have 3 herniated disks, and a BIG part of my full time job is working with skateboarders, and other extreme sports.. when my back went bad in January, I basically had to re-write my job description, because its just not worth becoming crippled..

now maybe this is different, because we are merely talking about feet hurting in this thread, BUT, i still believe you should be comfortable.. especially when doing something like a wedding.. I did a wedding a while back, and wore dress shoes,  and about half way through the reception, I just started getting bitchy.. not to people, just, I wasn't at all in the mood to be there anymore.. so from that night on, I decided that I should be comfortable when doing a wedding, because I want to be in a good state of mind during the WHOLE day, after all, people are paying you a crap load of money for a wedding day.. so, they least I can give them is my full attention through the whole day


----------



## William Petruzzo

thenikonguy said:


> J Hobson said:
> 
> 
> 
> And yes my feet hurt at the end of the day.  I took it as part of the job.
> 
> 
> 
> now maybe this is different, because we are merely talking about feet hurting in this thread, BUT, i still believe you should be comfortable.. especially when doing something like a wedding.. I did a wedding a while back, and wore dress shoes,  and about half way through the reception, I just started getting bitchy.. not to people, just, I wasn't at all in the mood to be there anymore.. so from that night on, I decided that I should be comfortable when doing a wedding, because I want to be in a good state of mind during the WHOLE day, after all, people are paying you a crap load of money for a wedding day.. so, they least I can give them is my full attention through the whole day
Click to expand...


Yeah. This is definitely my feeling. By the end of an 8-10 hour day my attention is being completely split between the job I'm there to do and how badly I want to leave so my feet can start recuperating.

There's just got to be a balance between looking invisibly nice and being as comfortable as possible.


----------



## RONDAL

what....has no one ever heard of dr scholls?

i wear dress shoes for 16 hours a day, and am on my feet for 14+ of those with my job...in a suit and tie.

I dont care who you are, suit and sneakers looks childish.

If you are shooting weddings you can afford to drop $100-150 on a decent set of shoes....hell its 10% of the cost of the rest of your gear, and you've already got the suit.  
Get a pair of shoe that FIT well, and have good support and room in the toe area and arch.  Then go to a pharmacy and get a pair of dr scholls for your feet that fits your style.

I have a bad back and hip and I can tell you those little cushy things changed my life...and all for $15.  They last about 8 months with constant wearing, and then you replace them.  A good set of shoes will last you years, and because you dont have to worry about wearing out the cushioning in the shoes they will last that much longer if you take care of them.

i wouldn't go any other way. there is no reason to sacrifice form or function.

Also, and this might kill some, but learning to stand properly, so you aren't putting weight on one foot all the time, and keeping your a$$ in shape can do wonders for your back and feet.  When you're lugging around a 40lb training vest on your frame (ie. your gut) for 8-10 hours a day....its gonna hurt your back and feet.


----------



## thenikonguy

RONDAL said:


> what....has no one ever heard of dr scholls?



Ive tried the dr. scholls.. they do nothing for me.. thats why I use birkenstock insoles.. similar to dr. scholls, except they aren't made as a cushion, they are made for proper arches.. which makes all the difference.. if you have proper arches in your shoes, you don't need the cushions..



RONDAL said:


> Also, and this might kill some, but learning to stand properly, so you aren't putting weight on one foot all the time, and keeping your a$$ in shape can do wonders for your back and feet. When you're lugging around a 40lb training vest on your frame (ie. your gut) for 8-10 hours a day....its gonna hurt your back and feet.



100% agree!


----------



## msf

I got a pair of dress shoes from payless like 15 years ago and they lasted me till a couple of years ago, gave me pretty good support.  Maybe the quality has decreased since then?

Ive since gotten new shoes from walmart, earth something.  So far they are pretty good, and feel really comfy.  I havent tested them at a wedding yet though.  Only cost like $45.  

I dont think Id wear blackrunning shoes at a wedding, want to keep a good reputation.


----------



## William Petruzzo

Unfortunately for me, I wear a size 15, which Dr. Scholls doesn't make. Otherwise that'd be my very first attempt at fixing the problem!

My policy is to always dress for maximum mobility in the context of the specific wedding. Sometimes that lets me get away with black sneakers. But usually not. But the style I'm usually hired for isn't traditional. I'm usually moving all over the place, from being on the floor to up in a tree. I'm paid well to make sure I not only get the shot, but get it in an interesting way.  But this means I'm pretty much always going to have to look for how I can dress loose and comfortable, while still looking professional.  Otherwise the style the client wants is going to suffer.


----------



## thenikonguy

bpetruzzo said:


> Unfortunately for me, I wear a size 15, which Dr. Scholls doesn't make. Otherwise that'd be my very first attempt at fixing the problem!



I've got the same issue.. I also wear a 15.. birkenstock makes an insole for us!! but to be honest,  most of those insoles you can buy (dr schols included) are a "one size fits all" as they make them really big, and you cut them down to the right size..


----------



## B Kennedy

Ok so I'm a taaad-bit late on this conversation, but I've just started to shoot a lot more weddings under another photographer and I've found a great pair of dress shoes.  I wanted to buy 1 pair and have it cover almost anything I'd be shooting.  The brand name is Mephisto, "Fonsio" Slip-Ons.  This was my first slip on pair of dress shoes, but apparently the designer was some kinda foot doctor, and these shoes were designed for comfort with some sort of shock absorbent technology.  So far I've around 5-6 events that were all day long (10am-12pm) and the shoes are great.  Comfortable enough to kneel with and crawl around, although my knees were still killing me at the end of the day, these shoes are very comfortable.  They are a bit expensive at around 300, but it's sooooooooo worth it.


----------



## EdelineM

oh this is interesting, cause Im doing one soon


----------



## Lyncca

Interesting thread, cause I am on the lookout too.  I've been doing a lot of weddings too and I am about to die.  I hate at the end of the night being more focused on how bad my feet hurt instead of what I am paid to do.  

I suck it up, but I am quite miserable after.  Although, the more weddings I shoot, the less I am hurting the day after.  I think the weekend bootcamps (i.e., weddings) are getting me in shape!


----------



## ironic sobriquet

the last formal event I shot... which was a formal family reunion I wore my rockports... (they're super ultra comfortable... feel like sneakers... look like drezies) 
however the last time I attended a wedding (I didn't bring my camera to the ceremony) I just wore my black Doc Martins... if you don't tuck your pants into them, combat boots _do_ look like formal ish drez shoes... of course the wedding before that I was able to wear my doc martins, black cargoes tucked in and a ZZ Top tee... man that was a hard core b*tchin' wedding...


----------

