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Practice Makes Perfect: Walking Tall in Wedge Shoes

Wedges are an extremely hot fashion statement. They are super glamorous and come in loads of fun colours and styles.

You can find wedges that emulate everything from sandals to loafers, and there are even a few wedge styled trainers out there.

However, even if you are a master of walking in sky-high heels, you may find walking in a wedge difficult.

Wedges Basics

The number one piece of advice we can offer on wedges is practice, practice, practice, and practice some more.

Successfully wearing a wedge is different from wearing a classic heel, and, just like when you first learned to walk in a heel, you need to practice in your wedges to really become comfortable with this new form of walking.

So slip on those wedges and wear them around the house for a day.

Wear them on carpet, linoleum, outside, up and down stairs, and any other walking surface you might have handy nearby. The goal is to get used to walking in wedges on a variety of surfaces.

Heel First

As you are practising, you need to use some of the same cardinal rules that apply to walking in classic heels.

Firstly, you should always walk by putting down your heel first and rolling forward onto the ball of your toes.

This walking motion is the most appealing and visually flattering because it is how we walk naturally.

However, this natural motion may feel especially awkward in wedges, but with practice it will not seem so strange.

Always avoid walking by putting your toe down first or by lifting your entire foot and placing it down flat on the ground with each step.

Both of these motions will make you look like an awkward ostrich.

Adjust Your Stride

Secondly, you absolutely must take smaller steps.

Just as with the classic heel, the higher the wedge the more it will shorten your stride. Don't fight this natural shortening by forcing yourself to take the same length strides as you would in your trainers.

Small, dainty steps will make your walk look more natural and less forced. If you are wearing wedges with an open back, smaller steps will also keep you from losing your wedge mid-stride because you will have minimised the forward motion of each step.

Develop A Spring In Your Step

Your posture is also of utmost importance.

Slouching or shuffling while you walk in your wedges is not appealing, and it defeats the purpose of wearing your lovely wedges in the first place.

So the third thing you must remember is to walk boldly with your head up and your shoulders squared. This will make you look confident and beautiful.

If you need to, imagine there is a piece of string holding your head upright. Do not look down while walking in your wedges, but keep your eyes looking ahead, your chin parallel to the floor, shoulders back, stomach muscles tight, and your knees slightly bent.

Think Catwalk

The final tip for walking in wedges is simply to emulate a fashion model. When a model strides down the catwalk, she pretends to walk as if following an imaginary line like walking a tightrope.

One foot is placed directly in front of the other with the toe pointing directly ahead. This is more than the simple walk we have discussed in the previous paragraphs, and you should only move on to this once you have mastered normal walking in your wedges.

Walking as if you were following a tightrope line will give you a sexy and charming sway. Yes, this will take some practice to master, but soon even this will become second nature. The end results are worth the effort.

Practice Makes Perfect

So get out there and start practising! If you are extremely unsure in wedges, start with a lower wedge height and work your way up.

Practice in your house to begin with, and then graduate your wedges to running errands and going every other place imaginable until you have mastered as many different surfaces as you can find.

If you are planning to wear your wedges to go dancing, practice in the comfort of your own home before breaking them out for a night on the town.

Sooner than you might think you will be ready to wear your wedges anywhere.

Megan Barnes adores shoes. She often blogs about the style options, how to pair them with outfits, and how to wear them with confidence.

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