Zara Tindall's clever heel trick is an affordable wedding season saviour

Spring is now in full swing and with the change in season come more outdoor occasions, from garden parties to the races and, of course, weddings.

In the UK May-October is considered to be the height of wedding season but we all know that feeling of panic when we leave finding the best wedding guest dresses until the last minute. The same is true of shoes and heels are a classic choice, though they’re not always the most comfortable wedding guest shoes around.

Walking on grass in stilettos can be a nightmare but the royals have come to the rescue with a practical - and very affordable - solution. Zara Tindall was spotted last year at a Buckingham Palace garden party braving the rain and the immaculate lawns in a pair of suede court shoes with heel protectors on.

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They were incredibly discreet as they were clear and slotted neatly on to the bottom of her £495 Emmy London Rebecca shoes. The luxurious suede material, delicate stiletto heel and soft rose-pink colour all made these shoes a bold choice for a rainy outdoor event. However, Zara’s heel guards helped to shield them from too much wear and tear and also prevented her from sinking into the wet grass.

They’d be just as effective on dryer ground and heel protectors also provide more stability when you’re walking on other uneven surfaces and can stop your heel from getting caught in things like grates by making them less narrow. Although we can’t tell exactly what brand Zara Tindall was wearing at the garden party last year, you can purchase a pack for under £6 on Amazon.

Most packs come with a variety of different sizes which means you can select the perfect fitting protector for each of the heels in your collection. They can also be re-used and we wouldn’t be at all surprised to see the King’s niece wearing clear heel guards again this spring and summer for some of the key events coming up in the royal calendar.

She’s a regular attendee of Royal Ascot in June, Wimbledon in July and garden parties will be held once again in May at Buckingham Palace. If you have a wedding or another special occasion on the horizon that you want to wear heels too then it’s well worth picking up some heel protectors ready. Alternatively if you tend to steer clear of heels when you attend an outdoor event, these can make the prospect of wearing them a little less daunting.

It’s comforting to know that even seasoned heel wearers like Zara are reaching for something so affordable and useful to aid them too. Because hers were clear, the flexible heel stoppers didn’t detract at all from the beauty of her pastel pink shoes, which she wore with a gorgeous Suzannah London petal pink midi dress.

She generally wears timeless court shoes to formal occasions and whilst we only got a close-up look at her heel guards in pictures last year, it’s likely she’s added them to plenty of her other shoes too. It’s also possible that some of her fellow royals like the Princess of Wales, Princess Eugenie and Princess Beatrice have dabbled with wearing heel stoppers over the years.