Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
Reader E write in to rave about these simple black pumps. As she says:
I usually spend much more on shoes, but was pleasantly surprised by these little gems. I started with the Navy and then got all three colors. They’re relatively low, walkable, and super sharp with a side of sexy. They don’t look comfortable, but they actually are! This may not work for everyone, but the heel is narrow and doesn’t slip. I did end with in a half size smaller than I usually wear.
They strike us as classic shoes that would be great to keep at the office, as the fabric won’t fare well on the actual street. Lovely! They’re $78.95 at Zappos.com in a pretty wide range of sizes: 5 through 12. Nine West – Novellos (Black/Black Fabric) – Footwear
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{ 26 comments… read them below or add one }
I’m not sure why but I really hate Nine West shoes. Even when I find a pair that I think is cute, when I get them I just end up detesting them after 3 wears (max) and thinking, “never again. . . again!”
Not sure why I have this reaction. Was just wondering if anyone shares the sentiment.
Yes! And even though I know I hate them, I still get suckered in and buy them. Inevitably, I regret it!
I have to disagree with the two of you. I love Nine West shoes. I have boots that I’ve had for years that are still great as well as heels that fit wonderfully. That the shoes are leather and regularly on sale and not out of my law school budget makes them a great brand.
I hate Nine West, too. I haven’t bought them in about a decade. Some of their styles are cute at first, but then when you break them in a little they start to look cheap and they kill your feet. Never again.
I agree as well. I have learned not to waste my time looking at Nine West.
Agreed – even when I see them at Ross for $20, I have learned the painful and expensive way that I need pass up on the Nine West
Oooh, great find! My beagle chewed up my interview shoes a few weeks ago and I’ve been using a professional but hideous and boring pair I wore in college since then while I wait for a good bargain on cute, quality shoes to show up. I might have to go for these as a replacement.
These are nice – I tried last year’s model and they were too pointy-toed for me. I have a foot that is wide across the ball of the foot and very narrow at the back, plus my feet are size 9.5, so if shoes like this fit across the ball of the foot, the toe of the shoe sticks out way too far and make my feet look terrible. Plus the heel is usually too wide.
They look great though!
What have you found that works for narrow heels? I have some serious issues in this department (like, my right toes are an A and my heels are AAAA) so dress shoes are practically impossible for me (and I have never been able to wear a plain pair of pumps, period). Sigh.
From what I’ve heard/experienced, Antonio Melani/Gianni Bini shoes at Dillard’s have a good shape for people with the more triangular foot. They’re both in the same price range as Nine West. They’re the only brands I’ve tried that are really snug in the back without pinching up front.
Many times a Mary Jane will keep your foot from sliding out, but it can be challenging to find styles without uselessly wide straps that don’t look childish. Insoles can also help in a shoe with an almond or round toe.
Agree. Nine West shoes are of such poor quality. After three weeks, they are so stretched out that they cannot be worn. For what you get, they are not worth even their relatively low price.
I disagree. I bought a pair of Nine West boots over a year ago, and they look/feel great! I wear them several times a week to work, walking 2 miles both ways, and the sole and leather outer are still in wonderful shape. They are also very comfortable – partly to do with the fact that the heel is a low wedge.
With any shoe, of course, it helps to take care of them. At a very minimum, don’t wear the same shoe two days in a row, but rather let them have a day off to “breathe” and regain their shape. I really think this helps to extend the life of the shoe, and keeps them looking great.
they are cheaper at endless – http://www.endless.com/Nine-West-Womens-Novellos-Pump/dp/B00295QWA6/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&cAsin=B001BWRBHG&qid=1255013007258&asinTitle=Nine%20West%20Novellos%20Pump&asins=B001BWRBHG,B002EAYX1G,B001F3H29S,B001D05KOM,B001D07K8Q&sr=1-1&fromPage=search&contextTitle=Search%20Results&sort=relevancerank&node=241745011&keywords=novello
Nine West *kills* my feet. Ditto for Anne Klein shoes. I can do other under $100 shoes like Bandolino, Ellen Tracey, and Tahari, though.
Nine West is my go-to brand. My shoes last for years and years, and I still get compliments on my first pair of black leather pumps to this day. And they look great! (they’ll be 6 years old around Christmas) So maybe it was the shoes that other people tried? I adore them – and E is right! Sharp with a side of sexy :)
My Nine West shoes don’t hold up well. I usually have to have the heels repaired and paint at the pointy toe retouched at least twice a year. They aren’t that expensive, so I often wonder why I don’t just replace them with something with better quality. I guess it’s because they fit my feet so well– I’m a 9.5, medium width., and they’re pretty comfortable on me. Do other, more expensive heels hold up better or is this just the nature of pumps in general?
I love my Nine West shoes and find that if you keep polish or leather conditioner on them, they last for years. That said, I own a ton of shoes, from WalMart to Jimmy Choo, and while some of the pricer brands don’t scuff as easily, ulimately, I’ve found that if you scuff the toe or heal of shoes in general it’s going to happen no matter what brand you buy.
I have these in navy and have gotten tons of compliments. I’ve always had good luck with Nine West shoes–for my feet they’re comfortable and hold up well.
I bought these exact shoes at a Ross to match a Halloween costume. Since they were so cheap, I figured I would just throw them away after the night. Four years later, they are still my go to black pumps. Nine West. Who knew.
The weird patent overlays on this shoe (zoom in at endless) really bug me.
But I will admit to having a general aversion to all things 9 West, so take it with a grain of salt.
They are $69 on Ninewest.com.
http://www.ninewest.com/Novellos/3046493,default,pd.html?cgid=1053
I bought a Nine West shoe very, very similar to this one (leather and a lower heel, but still had the shape of the shoe). I wore them all the time for about 6 months – until the ends of both toes developed holes. I replaced them with a Nine West shoe with a rounder toe, and 6 months later they still look great. I would love to add a pointier-toed shoe to my wardrobe, but I’m not sure if the problem with my first pair was due to the fact that they were Nine West or that I will destroy any pair of point-toed shoes. Any thoughts?
I think the disagreement lies in the way a shoe’s last fits different feet. Different manufacturers use a different “model” to base their shoes on. If it works for your feet, the shoes fit well, and hold up well because there won’t be a lot of weird stress points.
Peter Mayle wrote a book on whether various super-rich luxuries were truly worth it, and concluded that custom made shoes, on a per-wear basis, easily made sense for even middle income people. This is a man’s shoe, of course, but the reasoning holds. If it fits, it will last longer. It will be worth re-soling. The uppers won’t wear in odd places.
My Nine West go-to pumps are falling apart, but I haven’t really worn them so much that they should be. The leather is peeling off the sides and the stitching isn’t holding up generally. I’m really disappointed in them.
My favorite pair of under $100 classic pumps has been (surprisingly) BCBGirls. SO comfortable, they last forever, are cheap, and you really can’t tell them apart from, e.g., the Nine Wests.
I have a pair of BCBGirls shoes that I love. They were no more than $120 or so. Nice metallic-ish brown color, kitten heel, pointy toe. They should have been destroyed by now with all of the wear they’ve gotten in fall/winter over the past few years, but they still look great. Who knew?
I have these shoes and absoltutely love them. I don’t have much tolerance for heels as they always hurt my feet but these ones have been absolutely fantastic and I have gotten lots of compliments.