Sage is the hardest bridesmaid colour to put a shoe under. It is pale enough that black looks like a funeral and green enough that most colours fight it. So we put one sage satin slip dress on one model and changed only the shoe, eight times. The four that work: an emerald satin kitten heel that deepens the dress, a burgundy slingback that gives it a spine, a leopard kitten heel for the bridesmaid who is not going quietly, and a white block heel for a garden. The other four are fine shoes in the wrong job. All eight are under $50 on Amazon and were checked on the day of posting.
Why sage is the hardest bridesmaid colour to shoe
Sage sits between grey and green and reads as either depending on the light. Under a black pump it goes grey and the whole outfit turns sombre. Under a nude pump it goes green and the shoe disappears. Most bridesmaids end up in one of those two, which is why sage weddings photograph like a row of the same mistake.
The fix is a shoe with a point of view. Either deepen the green, give it a warm contrast, or let the shoe be the only pattern in the frame. That is where the eight below sort themselves.
The eight, and Ruby's verdict on each
Classic. Number one, the Dream Pairs black pointed pump, $34.99: the safe choice, and it makes sage look like it is in mourning. Number six, the same pump in nude, $34.99: vanishes, which is exactly what a bridesmaid shoe should not do. Number eight, the Shoe'N Tale pearl-strap ivory kitten heel, $43.99, 4.7 stars: sweet, bridal, and it belongs on the bride.
Colour. Number four, the Mostrin emerald satin slingback kitten heel, $39.98, 1,088 reviews: the one. It takes sage darker and richer and makes the dress look chosen. Number five, the Dream Pairs burgundy kitten slingback, $34.99, 3,526 reviews: warm contrast, gives the outfit a spine, and it is the easiest heel here to stand in for six hours. Number three, the ElegantPark navy satin strappy pump, $45.99, 2,210 reviews: handsome, three-inch heel, but navy and sage flatten each other under evening light.
Statement. Number seven, the Mostrin leopard slingback kitten heel, $37.98: the bridesmaid who will be in every photo. Leopard is the only pattern in the frame and sage is soft enough to take it. Number two, the GENSHUO white low block-heel sandal, $42.99, 4.5 stars: fresh, two-inch block, and the right answer for a lawn.
Pick by the wedding, not the mirror
Church or ballroom: emerald or burgundy. A closed toe and a kitten heel survive the aisle, the pews and the dance floor, and both colours hold up under indoor light.
Garden or vineyard: the white block heel. A two-inch block does not sink into grass, and white keeps sage looking like daytime. Leopard works here too if the bride has a sense of humour.
City hall or rooftop: leopard or burgundy. Concrete forgives a slingback, and the shoe is the only thing that will make a simple slip dress read as an outfit in a photograph.
