Sure, we all know what basics professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
We often mention a purple pump as being a great solution to both the “what do I wear with navy” dilemma, as well as the “I’m bored to tears of my black shoes but don’t want people to think I’m a clown” woes. But then again, finding a purple pump can be a tricky business — so we thought we’d round up a few for you in a range of prices. Readers, did we miss any great purple pumps you’ve found recently?
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 Talbots has some great-looking croc-embossed heels in a “dark rosette” — what’s particularly nice is that they have a 3.5″ heel (pictured), a kitten heel, and a platform heel (pictured at the very top) — all in the same dark purple stamped leather. (They also offer the shoes in a lovely light “Madison” blue, as well as a camel “Luggage,” brown, gray, and black.) The 3.5″ heels are $139 at Talbots.com (online only). Croc-embossed high heels |
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I have the Louboutin pair in black – if you’re in the market to drop an extraordinary sum of money (IMHO) on a pair of shoes, these ones are incredibly comfy and I whole-heartedly recommend them. I could walk forever in these, which means I end up wearing them a whole lot more than I would if I’d gone with a taller pair.
Don’t really love any of these, and I think for a pair of purple pumps I’d really need to *love* them before I pulled the trigger.
I’ve been stalking the Barney’s website on the off-chance that these go on sale: http://www.barneys.com/Esnoba/500730375,default,pd.html
Agreed, but I love the ones you posted in eggplant!
I have two pairs of purple (one plum, the other more cranberry) pumps and I wear them all the time! I own these in navy (http://www.dsw.com/shoe/madden+girl+sursey+patent+pump?prodId=dsw12prod1520004&brand=300211) and they’re inexpensive (only $39) and comfortable. Love them in purple, too!
I have found the greatest flats ever, and purchased them in every color =) Here they are in purple: http://www.brooksbrothers.com/IWCatProductPage.process?Merchant_Id=1&Section_Id=378&Product_Id=1469257&Parent_Id=1034&default_color=PLUM&sort_by=§ioncolor=§ionsize=
They are super soft, comfortable, come in great colors, and even come in their own little baggies (matching the color of the shoes) for easy stashing.
I saw the Jessica Simpson ones at DSW (I believe). They were a bit high for my personal preference, but I thought they looked great.
I love, love, LOOOOOOOOOVE the Claudia Couti ones. These would look fabulous with a LBD, imo. I wish I could afford them now!
Absolutely agree… they’re fabulous!
A bit off topic, but does anyone else find the name “cheap and chic” more annoying than ironic given the outrageous prices?
Yep, but nothing gets me quite like “Rich and Skinny”. Ugh.
how about “skinny cow” ice cream?
Or the line of outrageously priced t shirts from a couple of years ago called “Young, Fabulous and Broke” — no wonder if you are spending $150 on a tank top.
I’m wearing these today, pretty comfortable and good heel height for work.
http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/product.jsp?catId=100&productId=357020&productGroup=356997&pwpHash=shop,pwp,c-100/hf-10001+70016+4294966411/t-WOMEN'S|HEELS
Those are gorgeous!
here they are in Suede — I’ve seen them at Nordstroms and they are gorgeous!!
http://tiny.cc/bs9u7
L-O-V-E!
So glad you posted these. I was shocked to see them “missing” from the original post! They are stunning and I wish CH’s fit my feet.
yum yum yum
All great choices! I have had some great experiences with Jessica Simpson shoes. I was fundamentally opposed until i fell in love with a certain gorgeous pair (red ombre!) and was astonished at how comfortable they are and the quality for the price. I wear a lot of cole haan and have several stuart w’s by way of comparison and I have to say, JSimp shoes hold thier ground.
I think the line is a great way to get the trendy shoes at a reasonable price and stick with the more classic shoes in the higher end lines. I have the Jsimp ones here in the grey felt and love them- v. comfortable, even with a 4″ heel.
I have become a huge fan of Jessica Simpson’s shoes, as well. I brought a pair of her boots when I found they were one of the few pairs that fit my large calves and they have held up really well and I get compliments on them frequently. Since then, I’ve bought another pair of boots and a few pairs of shoes. I feel that they are stylish, but not so trendy that they can’t be worn for several seasons/years.
I love the Jessica Simpson and the Moschino ones featured here.
Thread hijack – sorry!
I’m young and about a year into my career post-undergrad. I am considering moving from an internal role into one that is more client facing (in the same industry). I recently applied for a client-facing position at a new company.
A friend of mine has reached out to a colleague of his, who works in a senior client-facing role at said company. His colleague has graciously agreed to speak with me over the phone later this week to answer any questions I have about the new position, and the company itself. She has also spoken to HR about me and my resume is now currently ‘under review’ with the new company. She is not the hiring manager for the position, however.
I’ve never done anything like this before, and I would appreciate any tips/words of advice on how to best conduct this conversation. I’ve put together a list of questions I’d like to ask her, but I’m not sure how to prepare beyond that. I also plan to send her a thank you card post-phone conversation. Any other ideas/comments/suggestions?
I do a lot of informal chats like this (I’d be in the position of your friend’s colleague, not your position). Just be yourself, be knowledgeable of the company, be prepared to answer some basic questions, and have a few good questions about the company. Be chatty, but not overly casual – make sure there are no distractions that will be audible over the phone, like TV in the background, and don’t curse or use a lot of slang. Make sure to thank the person for her time, and ask her if you should do anything to follow up. If you have her email address, after the call, send her an email to say thanks.
That’s all the advice I can think of off the top of my head but if anything else comes to mind, I’ll post again.
Your advice was just what I was looking for – thank you!
I second this advice.
And I can’t emphasize the follow up thank you enough. I’ve been on both ends of such calls, and I’ve gone out of my way to schedule an hour chat with someone only to never hear from them again. It doesn’t take long to type out a one to two sentence thank you, and it reflects well on you.
And do it ASAP. (Full confession is that I was just the caller to someone last week, and I got swamped at work and let a day slip without sending a thank you. I had just planned to send one when a message from him came along with contact information for another person he thought I should talk to…I was mortified! Lesson, thank people ASAP!)
Assuming you thanked the person politely at the end of the call, I don’t think letting a day go by is rude. If you’d planned to send a card instead of an email it wouldn’t have arrived by then anyway. So long as your reply email to him was gracious, I doubt he cared that he’d emailed first.
I love the purple but I am clueless when it comes to coordinating colors. So if I wear purple shoes with a navy suit, what color top will go? Or even if I pair the shoes with a black suit then what color top will match?
I usually end up wearing mine in lieu of brown heels, if that makes sense. Today, with a green shirt with a navy open cardigan wrapped with a dark brown belt, and darkish brownish pants. I don’t wear suits usually, so can’t be much help there.
Provided the shoes are a darker purple, I’d say just treat it as a neutral – meaning don’t worry too much about “matching” them to your top. In a similar vein, I have a pair of burgandy shoes that I wear ALL the time with practically anything I own.
FYI – As a follow up to my Cole Haan shoes saga, I made the trip to a Saks Off Fifth this weekend and got three pairs (they’re different – I swear! ;-) for under $300 (a pair of low pumps, a pair of taller pumps, and loafer/driving shoes)… am VERY happy :-)
That is one of my shoe spots, that and Neiman Marcus Final Call or last call something like that 9I usually just call it the Neiman’s outlet)
Sigh… i want to go shoe shopping…
I have a pair of Easy Spirit Vicki pumps in mauve/burgundy suede. They are my go-to pumps, they match everything, whetherI’m wearing black, brown or navy and are insanely comfortable. I tried to find a picture of my shoes online but it appears I scored the only pair (it’s still available online in regular and patent leather in different colors). I got them for $17 on clearance at Macy’s.
I want those Me Too Pixys. Darn budget.
Check out TJ Maxx. I’ve seen this shoe in red and black there recently for $40!
I have some purple ballet flats that I love from Report (I don’t wear heels). They were about $75 and have a cute ruffly detail.
On the Moschino Cheap & Chic — does anyone else find the cork heel to be wholly inapprorpiate for work???? Even aside from work, I am not sure where I would ever wear a cork stilleto!
I think it depends on where you work. They’d certainly be appropriate for me, but I can see where they wouldn’t fly at a BigLaw job.
Also, I think this could relate to what some comments touched on in another recent thread. These shoes with a conservative outfit could work well, but they might not work as well with an outfit that was trendy in some other way.
I was prepared to say something about purple + patent, but viewed in the context of your comment I can see how both can work when paired with appropriate outfit.
It would have to be a casual summer non-work event for me to wear a cork heel. Even then, the stiletto just seems incongruous with cork.
That’s kind of how I feel. I agree that purple + patent + sensible outfit is fine. But I don’t think I would wear a cork heel to work or to a night out.
It’s sort of like rubber. No rubber shoes at work seems a given. So no cork would seem to follow. And maybe a cork wedge that is either darker or lighter overall would not stick out, but purple + patent + cork would definitely attract some attention.
But hey, maybe it’s just me — after all, I am even on the fence about some of the lighter colored wooden stacked heels!
I’m surprised Kat didn’t include these:
http://www.endless.com/Cole-Haan-Air-Talia-Pump/dp/B0039MIXEQ/
Have and adore these. Very walkable and even better looking in person.
I have an outdoor event coming up next month and these would be perfect with my planned outfit. The catch is that I live in a rainy climate. Is there any possible amount of suede protector that will make this an acceptable idea, or is moist grass just too risky for suede, even a darker color like this?
I wouldn’t risk it.
No. And more importantly, that heel would sink right into the grass. Don’t do it.
I have these in purple and they match almost everything I own. I wear them with any grays or to break up too much black. They might be my favorite shoes ever. I love the quiet punk edge they add to anything.
http://www.shoebuy.com/sofft-opera/312792
I am aggressively seeking a pair of “occasion” eggplant-colored heels to wear for my wedding…I must have the heels before I can order the dress, as the length must be custom-done. It’s a conundrum!
Suggestions?!
I wore deep purple heels for my wedding, and I thought they were beautiful. They were Stuart Weitzman from Zappos; I will look for a link and post it if I find them.
I wore these to my sister’s wedding and loved them – they are available in plum – not sure if that works for your eggplant. I wouldn’t call them comfortable but I had to run up and down this long spiral staircase a few times pre-wedding and my feet really didn’t hurt until the standing around at the end of the wedding portion of the day – but she did not have dancing so I can’t say how they would do for that. Good luck! I think eggplant shoes will be beautiful.
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/2990498?origin=category&resultback=2984
Try searching in Zappos, by color (purple). I saw several truly lovely evening shoes there recently while looking there recently, and though some would not be the right shade, others would.
Appropriately enough, if UPS does its job, these should be at my doorstep when I get home tonight: http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?searchCID=4016&vid=1&pid=538778&scid=538778192 .
Gorgeous purple suede shoe, Rebecca! And only $44?! Yeep! I snagged these sling-backs from Amazon, so I’ll walk away slowly… http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00266QESS/ref=oss_product
Purrrrrr…
Don’t forget the awesome purple wedges at Target:
http://tiny.cc/kymsb
super comfortable and $30!
I was just about to post the link to those — I ordered those purple ones yesterday!
Again with the freakishly coincidental timing, Kat!
My two current shoe stalks:
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3118051?origin=PredictiveSearch&resultback=57 (more of a wine than a purple)
and
http://shop.nordstrom.com/S/3097027?cm_cat=datafeed&cm_pla=shoes:women:pumps&cm_ite=sofft_'fiorella'_pump:299741&cm_ven=Froogle&mr:trackingCode=EF4A5DAF-1A91-DF11-9DA0-002219319097&mr:referralID=NA
(check out the stunning reviews)
Those mary janes are STUNNING.
The Jessica Simpson heels are actually quite cute. And since I’m not a fan of hers in general, that’s saying a lot!
I have these dark purple suede pumps from Sofft. They are sooo comfy I can literally sprint in them!
http://www.sofftshoe.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=3491
i have the jessica simpson pumps. they were adorable when purchased, but three short weeks later, a tear began to emerge and expand in the area by the base of my big toe. love the shoes, but three weeks’ worth of wear is not worth the money in my book.
I’ve come across a brand I didn’t know about and fallen in love with: Tiggers. They’re classical in an different way (inspired from the 20′s).
Threadjack–shoe related, though!
I have arthritis in my big toe joints and finding pumps that don’t cause pain at that spot has become a real difficulty. Most pumps are cut to fit right around the toe joint, so my feet hurt like the dickens the moment I put them on. Comfort lines aren’t necessarily the answer, since most of them are for problems with the bottom of the foot. I would like something that’s professional and as fashionable as possible.
Here’s what has worked in the past:
1) A high vamp that gently covers the toe joint (if I could find a 1920s style t-strap that fit, I’d be happy!). A round toe is usually more comfortable than a pointed one.
2) A very low heel–less than 2″, and 1-1/2″ is even better, since bending at the joint has gotten more and more painful. I find a wedge easier to tolerate than a stacked heel. Flats aren’t necessarily better than heels–it depends on the vamp and fit–ballet flats are agony!
3) Arch support and insole padding are helpful but not crucial–I’m not planning on hiking in pumps.
The brand doesn’t matter. It’s purely a question of fit. Suggestions / thoughts? Thanks!
I would say Clarks. I’ve come across different styles of Clarks in Macy’s, JCPenney, the Clarks store, and random shoe outlets and they are consistently comfortable and not all of them are granny/ortho-inspired. Clarks shoes tend to balance your weight well, even if the vamp is lower, so it may not apply the painful pressure to your toe joints. Their shoes are also roomy – this is a big deal for me because the front portion of my foot is very wide and most brands squeeze my feet too much. I like the look of their leather upper shoes (the soles are rubber). Good luck!
Also, for higher end options, I like Taryn Rose. Some very stylish shoes with higher cut vamps.
Sounds like Microentrepreneur is going to need foot surgery soon if she does not switch to flats. Foot surgery is a nightmare. Do try to avoid it. Foot exercises might help.
I do not think a purple pump is a basic in a woman’s wrdrobe. There is however a certain wine shade with brown undertones that does look nice in leather items whether it is a shoe, a bag, a jacket, or a desktop.
I recently bought a beautiful pair of deep purple suede pumps from Nine West. Am surprised how much I am wearing them – they look great with my navy and grey suits/skirts.
I got these cole haan pumps in the eggplant suede color. I love them, and can’t recommend them enough. They are a fairly dark purple, with a classic round toe. And I love suede for fall. I’ve been wearing them with just about everything lately.
http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/product.jsp?catId=100&productId=365198&productGroup=356985
I have these same pumps! Can’t wait to waterproof them and wear them this fall!
New reader here, love your blog!
I second the above comment from anon about the cole haan Talia pump. They also come in a mid-height heel in aubergine patent, which I love. the plus side is the nike air cushioning.
http://www.colehaan.com/colehaan/catalog/product.jsp?catId=100&productId=357020&productGroup=356997
I have a great pair of purple pumps by Tahari that I got at DSW a year ago. They are round-toe, mid-height heel. So comfy I got them in two colors!
I have been considering these. They might be a little TOO purple, but under pants it might be subtle enough, and I think they are gorgeous:
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/audrey+brooke+power+pump?prodId=210176&category=cat20006
I just got a pair of purple suede Kate Spades from Nordstrom’s. They’re a great height and very comfortable: http://www.katespade.com/product/index.jsp?productId=4311848&cp=2632454.3124611. The color on the website makes the shoes look a little more gray than they actually are. The color is muted enough to wear with skirts but bright enough to give you a nice pop of color.