Shoe Ideas: Embellish Plain Shoes with Shoe Clips
Want an easy way to embellish your shoes & give them a whole new look? Shoe clips spice up your shoes in seconds & might just change your life.
I only realised they were a thing recently. So I've written this shoe clips guide to spread the word about this secret fashion fix. Here's all you need to know.
What are Shoe Clips & How do they Work?
Shoe clips are clip-on decorations you can easily attach to shoes temporarily to dress them up.
They look similar to clip-on earrings, with a fancy embellishment on the front and a clip behind. Simply clip them on to the front, side or heel of your shoes for an instant style makeover.
It's such a simple idea. You may be wondering: where have shoe clips been all my life? They're actually not a new invention. In fact they were all the rage 100 years ago in 1920s Hollywood.
Thankfully they've made a comeback in recent years, especially for wedding shoes.
Shoe Clips Video Review
Here's my 2 minute shoe clips video demo showing how quick and easy they are to use:
6 Reasons to Love Shoe Clips
1. Save Money
Shoe Clips are very affordable, with prices starting from around $10.
So you can save money by buying plain shoes & shoe clip decorations, instead of buying expensive embellished heels.
Even high-end ornate shoe clips soon pay for themselves as you can use them forever with all your shoes.
2. Get More Wear from your Shoes
Wear the same shoes to weddings & work while looking completely different thanks to shoe clips.
Instead of having a closet full of shoes you hardly wear, invest in quality versatile heels that go with everything. Then just add shoe clips to make it look like you have an endless shoe wardrobe.
Mix up your look with diamante bling, cute ribbon bows or statement flowers. The possibilities are endless.
3. Wear them Multiple Ways
Shoe clips are most often clipped front and center on pumps & ballet flats, but you can also place them to one side, at the back heel or attach them to any straps.
Plus, you can use shoe clips for more than just shoes. Why not add a statement flower clip to a purse or bag strap? Or bling up your belt with a diamond or pearl clip.
Shoe clips are so versatile: put them here, there & everywhere!
4. Cover up Shoe Stains or Defects
Spilt something on your heels & can't wear them anymore? Try hiding the stain with a shoe clip & give them a whole new look.
Spot some imperfect shoes with a mark on the front in the bargain bin? Just cover it up with a glam shoe clip & you've got new shoes for next to nothing.
Shoe clips can also be a handy solution if you lose or damage a bow or embellishment on a fancy dress shoe. Just remove the other shoe decoration & add shoe clips to have a matching pair again ready for your next big night out.
5. Quick & Easy to use
Shoe clips are so simple to use and transform your shoes within seconds: just clip & go.
6. One Size fits all
Last but not least, one size fits all when it comes to shoe clips.
So if you've big feet & fall for diamante heels that don't come in your size, don't worry. Just glam up some plain heels with shoe clips instead. Bonus: you'll get the look for a lot less.
Where to Find Shoe Clips
Good news: you can forget about your shoe size for once as all shoe clips will fit you!
Local wedding dress & occasion wear shops
Occasion wear & bridal shops near you may stock shoe clips. You can bring your own shoes & try out shoe clips in person which is a big advantage.
Amazon
Amazon have plenty of shoe clips in the $10-20 price range. Reviews tend to be mixed as ever. Some customers have added their own real life pictures of the clips on their shoes which is helpful.
Crystal Shoe Clips
Add instant bling to your shoes with these budget shoe clips. Buckle & garland motif style options also available. I bought these myself: watch my video demo.
Buy at Amazon.com →Etsy
Etsy has a great selection of shoe clips, especially wedding styles. But these shoe clips are not just for brides. They only really look bridal with white shoes & can work for all occasions.
Paired with classic nudes, black or jewel tones - they look really chic & delicate. Steal the show without going OTT.
Etsy specialises in artisan handmade items, many made by women running their own craft businesses. There are shoe clips to suit all budgets here, from very affordable bow & pom pom shoe clips to higher end more intricate pieces.
Bear in mind that mass produced items are also sold on Etsy - a clue is when you see items from multiple sellers that look the same. So it's worth taking a few minutes to read the description & customer reviews to know what you're getting for your money.
Browse All Etsy Shoe Clips
Pom Pom Shoe Clips
Handmade by Gouzel in Florida, these supercute feather pom poms are rather special. She makes these pom poms in a whole rainbow of shades & also does beautiful bow clips. See her current shoe clip selection here. Ships worldwide.
Buy from Etsy →
Glam Buckle Shoe Clip
Run by Mike in Germany, Maximondaen specialise in glamorous shoe clips. This bestselling downtown New York buckle clip is a real showstopper & the store has over 90 rave reviews. Ships to most of EU, UK & US.
Buy from Etsy →
Custom Color Shoe Clips
Barbara from Twinkle Toes Shoe Clips in the UK makes these custom cute triple bow ribbon shoe clips in any colours you like at really affordable prices. Ships worldwide.
Buy from Etsy →Shoe Stores
Some online shoe stores sell shoe clips designed to compliment their own shoes, but you can of course wear them with any brand.
Sparkly Shoe Clips
These Cluster clips glam up your shoes in seconds for an elegant, chic look.
£18 at Calla →Use Clip-on Earrings
If you have some clip on earrings at home, try clipping them on to your shoes instead & see how they look & feel.
Cip-on earrings can work well for more subtle round shape embellishments at the front of heels & ballet flats. So if you're having trouble finding shoe clips you like, try searching for clip-on earrings instead for a wider selection - they might be even cheaper too.
DIY Shoe Clips
Finally, you can even make your own shoe clips. Blank shoe clips are cheap to buy in packs like these on Amazon or from Etsy (below).
Then just stick your own embellishment on with some glue or tape. Here's a few ideas:
- Make a bow with some ribbon
- Stick on a small faux fur pompom
- Add a decorative fabric patch e.g. a cute heart shape
- Recycle bits of costume jewellery
What's the Catch?
If shoe clip decorations sound too good to be true, there are a few things to look out for:
1. Shoe clips can catch on long dresses
If you wear shoe clips with a long wedding dress or ball gown made of delicate fabrics like chiffon or tulle, they might snag the material.
Consider only wearing the clips for close-up photos including your shoes, so you can fully relax on your big day.
Alternatively, do a trial run wearing your dress with your shoe clips before your special event. Move about a bit & walk up & down to look for any potential snagging issues.
2. Shoe clips can rub
If you have sensitive feet, certain shoe clips could rub your feet and be uncomfortable to wear. There's a whole bunch of factors involved here: the design and quality of the shoe clip, your particular shoes & your unique feet.
If you're concerned:
- Try them on shoes that have some space between the shoe & your foot i.e. shoes that don't leave marks on your feet or dig into them. My black shoes are roomy at the front & I can't feel the clips at all even though I've sensitive feet.
- Check reviews of the particular clip or brand
- Ask the store about comfort concerns before you buy
- Find out if you can return shoe clips after trying them & any return costs involved
TIP: you may be able to stop shoe clips rubbing your feet by putting a plaster (band-aid) or even some soft surgical tape over the clip at the back.
Worst case, if you find shoe clips too uncomfortable to wear, you can sew or glue on a bow or embellishment to dress up your shoes instead.
That's more permanent of course, but it's a good workaround if you can't afford embellished shoes or can only find plain shoes to fit you well.
3. Shoe clips can be noisy
My own shoe clips tend to jingle a bit when I walk. It's similar to how zips or chains on some handbags or purses can make sounds when you move.
I've stomped my feet about in the middle of my video demo, so you can hear for yourself. It's not that loud when you're walking about, but the jingle sound might bother some people.
4. Quality varies
As with anything, shoe clip quality varies a lot. While you can buy very cheap shoe clips on Wish or Amazon etc for less than $10, these get very mixed reviews.
Some say diamonds fall off within minutes or the clip itself doesn't stay in place or is uncomfortable. If you're only paying a few bucks, you can't expect much.
But it can be a cheap way to try out shoe embellishments for the first time & they might turn out to be a best buy.
At the other end, some high-end shoe clips are much more expensive at $50-100. This may be because the piece is much more intricate, made with higher quality materials, handmade or even one of a kind.
But a high price doesn't always guarantee top quality, so I suggest reading recent customer reviews before buying. Some Etsy & Amazon reviews include customer pictures, so you can see how the shoe clips look in the real world rather than the perfect product shots.
I hope you found this shoe clips guide helpful & you have fun dressing up plain shoes with cute clips. I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
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