by Anne Warchol

Created on: April 27, 2008   Last Updated: August 07, 2009

Prom night is your moment to shine. Your gown, your shoes, your hair and make-up add up to a beautiful you. One tiny detail. Consider the price of beauty. Perfection hurts.

You found the prom dress you dreamed of, but prom shoes make or break your look. Have fun shopping for your perfect prom shoe with a few simple suggestions.

Not all girls are a Cinderella. Choose the correct size and style prom shoes for your foot. If you glam your prom gown with open-toed high heels pay attention to details. Your toes shouldn't touch the tip of the shoe, but your heel should line up perfectly with the back of the shoe. Look at the side profile in the mirror.

Sassy and classy high heeled prom shoes hurt. Expect shoes to pinch your little toe. Remember? Pain is the price for perfection. Walk around the shoe store and if the pain is bearable_ stand up and take it like a woman. If you wobble when you walk in that sexy high-heeled sandal_ find a different shoe. Wobbling prom girls might fall down.

While at your prom_ keep your head up and never show them your agony. It ruins the look of your exquisite ensemble. Besides, all the girls take their shoes off at the prom.

You can buy cushioned pads to ease the pain at the shoe store. Placed correctly; the pads are discrete.

Don't buy a shoe if the decorative rhinestone hurts. If your shoe lacks a shiny rhinestone, don't believe the sales lady when she tells you to buy a large earring to fasten onto your shoe. It's an exercise in frustration.

Lucky girls find their gowns and matching prom shoes in the same store. Once you leave the store, it's hard to find the right shoes. You have to drag your dress with you while you shop. One year I bought a beautiful inexpensive prom dress, but couldn't find shoes from the same store. I spent three days finding the right shoes and the shoes cost more than the dress.

I always shop stores like Pay-less or Ross looking for inexpensive prom shoes. Watch out for the trashy look. Some silver shoes look more like gray and some gold shoes are dull.

Your prom shoes should accentuate_ not dominate your dress.

For a different prom shoe look, you might like pointy toe shoes. Walk around the store for a few minutes. Pointy toed shoes have a pain like no other. Not all beauty is worth the price of pain.

Check the length of your gown while wearing your prom shoes. Your gown should fall at, or slightly above the heel of your shoe. A prom dress that drags on the floor gets dirty and stepped on. A prom gown that shows too much heel looks like you bought the wrong size dress.

And don't forget your date.

Not every guy is the desirable six foot something. Don't buy the six inch spike heel if your guy's five foot seven. Think of the prom photos. Some men feel less manly next to a taller woman.

Are you satisfied with your perfect look? Remember, your prom pictures follow you for the rest of your life. Trendy is not always a lasting beauty.

Now, go out there and dance your feet off. This is your night. And don't forget_ beauty is worth the price of pain.

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