Where’s the Best Place to Buy White Low-Heel Shoes for Flower Girls (Ages 6–10)?
I didn’t even volunteer for this, for the record. My cousin got engaged, my 8-year-old niece Lila got named flower girl, the bride decreed no flats (the dress is tea-length, flats make the hem drag) no 2-inch plus heels (Lila trips over her own feet walking to the school bus, no way we’re letting her teeter down an aisle full of people) and they had to be bright white, not ivory, not cream, nothing that would clash with the dress’s white lace. So suddenly I’m the person in charge of finding these damn shoes.
I started with Amazon, obviously. That’s what you do first, right? Ordered two different sizes, two different brands, because everyone says order two sizes send one back. First pair showed up: the “low 1-inch heel” advertised was actually 2 inches, pointy at the end, and the white was so yellow it looked like it had been sitting in someone’s attic since 1998. Second pair fit okay, but the heel was wobbly, like Lila could’ve snapped it off mid-processional. Then I had to return them. It was raining that day, I drove to the UPS drop off, my cheap umbrella flipped inside out as soon as I got out of the car, my left sleeve was soaked all the way to my elbow, and I stood in line behind a guy returning a 50-pound dog crate for 20 minutes. That was my first attempt, and it sucked.
Next I tried the local kids’ formal shop in the strip mall off the highway, the one wedged between a Taco Bell and an urgent care clinic. The owner was super nice, she pulled out every pair of white kids heels she had. All the low ones were for toddlers, size 10 little kid and under, and the ones that fit Lila’s size 3 big kid foot were $85. Eighty five dollars. For shoes she’s gonna wear once, then probably outgrow by next summer, and definitely get grass stains on when she’s running around the reception chasing the dog that the best brother snuck in. She tried to talk me into ivory, said “no one will notice the difference” but I’ve seen the bride’s Pinterest board, she’d notice. Lila got bored while we were chatting, started yanking on the prom dress display by the door, and knocked a full-length sequined pale blue dress right off the hanger. I had to fumble with the hook for five minutes, my face was burning the whole time. Left that store empty handed, and bought a Doritos Locos Taco after to calm down.
I tried Target next, on a Saturday, brought Lila with me and bought her a churro upfront to keep her in a good mood. They actually had a whole little section of occasion wear shoes for kids. Found a pair of white low heels, looked exactly what I wanted on the box. Lila tried them on, and the material was this hard plasticky stuff that dug right into the back of her heel. She walked two steps going “ow ow ow” and refused to keep them on. The soles were also so slippery I swear she would’ve face-planted on the church’s hardwood aisle. Then she dropped half her churro on the carpet by the shoe rack. I brushed off as many crumbs as I could with my bare hand and hightailed it out of there. Don’t judge, I’d already had enough embarrassment that month.
I even tried that local kids’ formal resale group on Facebook. Some lady was selling a pair of white low heels, only worn once for a wedding, size 3, $15. We met at a Starbucks halfway between our houses. She pulled them out, they looked great! Lila tried them on sitting in the booth, and they were just a little too loose, the previous owner must’ve stretched them out. They slipped right off her heel when she stood up. I felt terrible saying no, she’d driven 25 minutes to meet me, so I bought her an oat milk latte to make up for it, that was another $6. Down $21, still no shoes.
I found them two weeks later, completely by accident, at Marshalls. I was there looking for a beige tablecloth for the wedding shower my aunt was throwing, not even thinking about shoes. I wandered past the back shoe section to get to the home goods area, and there was this messy bin of clearance kids’ shoes at the end of the aisle. I stuck my hand in just for fun, and there they were: bright white, low block one and a half inch heel, soft leather, adjustable strap, size 3. They were $22. Brand new, just the box was crumpled, tiny scuff on the bottom of one heel that you can’t even see when they’re on. Lila was with me, tried them on right there in the aisle over the cold concrete, walked all the way to the linen section and back, no ouchies, no slipping. The white matched the dress perfectly when we got home.
So what’s the best place? I don’t know, honestly. I looked all over the places that are supposed to have this stuff, and the only place that came through was a random discount store I wasn’t even shopping at for shoes. This size range, 6 to 10 year olds, it’s like no one remembers they need formal shoes sometimes. All the low white heels go to toddlers, all the nice formal heels go to teens for prom, this in between is just a dead zone. And Lila ended up getting a tiny vanilla ice cream stain on the toe at the rehearsal anyway, we scrubbed it with a wet wipe and you can still see it if you kneel down and look really close. No one noticed. No one even commented on her shoes except my aunt, who said they were cute. The bride was too busy crying during the processional to look that close.
I guess if you’re asking me, just check the clearance bin at your local discount store when you’re out doing something else. Don’t drop $80 on a pair from a specialty shop, don’t stand in the rain returning Amazon packages if you don’t have to. Chances are you’ll find what you need when you’re not even looking for it. And if you don’t? No one’s gonna care that much anyway. (Word count: 1182)
Please indicate: Thinking In Educating » Where’s the Best Place to Buy White Low-Heel Shoes for Flower Girls (Ages 6–10)