What is the Spanish name for the quinceañera’s traditional shoe-changing ceremony?

The traditional shoe-changing ceremony is called cambio de zapatos, meaning “change of shoes.”

During this ritual, a parent or other honored relative may replace the quinceañera’s flat shoes with high-heeled shoes. The action represents a passage from childhood into young womanhood and can be one of the reception’s most visually recognizable symbolic moments.

The name is descriptive rather than a universal formal title. Spanish usage and ceremony details differ across countries, and many families simply describe the moment as the shoe-changing ritual. Some celebrations do not include it at all.

It is also easy to confuse this custom with the presentation of a tiara or the last-doll ceremony. Those are separate traditions that may appear at the same event. A quinceañera can include some, all, or none of these symbolic practices.