Are Louboutins appropriate for the office with those sexy red soles? Reader J wonders…
What do think about wearing Louboutins in the office? Is the red sole too sexy?? I have a pair of Simple 85s, which are not high at all. They’re conservative, black kid leather, round toe, surprisingly comfy, but they have this in-your-face scarlet sole. I’ll be working at a bank that has a reputation of being somewhat laidback, but I don’t want to make the wrong impression… Help please?
When I was a first year associate I was completely jealous of another first-year associate who had done some serious shopping during her bar trip — LV bags, Hermes scarves, and Louboutin shoes. She had a classic kitten heel Louboutin, with the trademark red sole. This was before Louboutins were quite as “big” as they are today, so the red sole really stood out, and I thought, looked fabulous. So for my $.02, yes, simple Louboutins are appropriate for the office.
Reader J has a slightly higher heel — the 85mm version, which is just over 3″. Even this I don’t have a problem with — it’s a classic, gorgeous shoe, and so what if there’s a red sole. (Pictured above: Simple 85 Pumps, available at Saks Fifth Avenue for $595.)
Update: I’m seeing a lot of chatter on Twitter and in comments about whether Louboutins are appropriate for assistants or interns. Does it shout “I’m not here for the money” the same way a Birkin bag does? To me, a $600 pair of shoes and a $10,000 bag are in entirely different leagues. I suppose my rule would be that if you can buy it in one paycheck, it’s appropriate for any woman of any level. My guess is that Reader J can swing a $600 pair of shoes in one paycheck given that she works at a bank — my answer might be different for the unpaid intern. (But even then I see so many teenagers walking around with Louis Vuitton bags (which generally cost around $1000)…)
But this isn’t to say that ALL Louboutin shoes are appropriate for the office. For example, I would say that any of the platform shoes pictured below are pushing it for most conservative offices — the office hallway, alas, is a far cry from the red carpet. (Fun question: can you guess which pair below is the most expensive?)
Readers, what say you? Is the Louboutin red sole appropriate for the office?
(Check out other comfortable, work-appropriate shoes in the Corporette Guide to Comfortable Heels!)
When a question like this is posed about something being “too sexy” (I’m ignoring the $$ issue for the most part here), I think first of my own opinion, and then of my mother’s. In this case, I think that the conservative shoe with a red heel is fine. But I also know that my mother would be absolutely aghast at these shoes – anywhere – let alone on a professional woman at work, otherwise professionally dressed. Now, admittedly, my mother is a complete prude and very quick to judge someone’s outfit as being too risque or sexy. She is also vocal about her opinions. I don’t think her judgment is fair at all, or reflective of today’s styles. But I also know that she is not alone, and perhaps is even a fair representative of a certain demographic. She is early 60s, a (non-militant) feminist educated at one of the Seven Sisters schools plus a masters degree from GW, and could theoretically be working in an office with a Corporette.
As I said, I would not really blink if someone wore those shoes around my office. But I know that if my mother’s trusts and estates attorney came into a meeting with her wearing otherwise conservative, but red-soled shoes, my mother would absolutely judge her very harshly for them and decide this attorney is nothing but a floozy, even if she was also giving the best advice Louboutin-money could buy. I say this not because I think one should dress to the most conservative opinion, but just to say: 1) consider your audience and 2) it is worth noting that some people WILL think these are too sexy, and you should consider that even if you choose to wear them anyway.
Yep. It’s never just about you. Fly your freak flag proudly but remember that your choices are speaking volumes about you and you need to be aware of the message received.
freak flag??? by wearing nice shoes???? by all means, let us all wear payless and prove our frugality at the expense of our feet …
Right, because it’s either payless or $700 Louboutins.
I take life one mile at a time, and have run 35+ miles per week for 20 years. Any pair of shoes that doesn’t hurt and protects my poor pounded upon feet are OK with me. I don’t care if they cost $10 or $700, or the color of the sole. I would assume that anyone else wearing expensive shoes is also meeting a physical or psychic need, both of which hurt when they are not being met.
Kat, this extended moderation thing is killing me slowly! It’s tough to discuss anything!
Agreed! What’s going ON?
it’s not on purpose — no idea what the problem is b/c i haven’t changed anything on the backend of the site. frustrating for me too — i go out for dinner and come back to 40 unmoderated comments!
thank you guys for your patience…
OF COURSE! Sheesh, what a silly question.
I don’t think it is an issue as long as the shoes are tasteful and the outfit is polished. As far as admin/interns/youngens wearing such things…I would assume they have family help ($) or they have a fake. There are so many fake LVs out there that I almost always assume its fake if the girl is sub 30. This goes with jewelry, bags, shoes, etc. Let’s also not forget some gals buy second hand, some gals have fashionable moms/sisters who hand-down great bags/shoes/jewelry. We should all be so lucky! So long explanation longer, you can judge all you want but you probably don’t know the truth.
If I wanted to spend $700+ for footwear I would get these: http://www.powdermag.com/buyers-guide-2011/2011-fat-ypus-a-lotta-e-r-skis/. Don’t judge me because they’re sexy!!!
I rent. Isn’t that gross? I do it anyway.
Nah, it’s not gross.
OK, I’m naive, I recognize the red soles as Louboutins. But, how long does the red sole last, or does it scuff like normal shoes and then you’re wearing what looks like a worn shoe?
I also can’t imagine calling 70mms “low heels”.
I am always surprised by some of the comments that post here. I see no correlation between liking and buying expensive shoes, handbags, clothing and any woman’s abilities or intellect. Owning certain things is a choice or preference…nothing more.
Work is, and should be, about performance and results. And, if a woman achieves the expected outcome, why is so much time and energy expended on how much her shoes, clothing, handbags cost by *other* women?
Sometimes, as I read the comments and opinions, I feel that women have made no “progress” at all.
Personally, I would not wear most CL shoes to work but not because I object to the red soles or think red soles are too sexy and thus, inappropriate for work. For me, no shoe with a heel higher than 3″ is worth the aches and pains so, I will stick with the shoes I find most comfortable: Stuart Weitzman, Bally, Gucci and (only if I buy them one size larger) Ferragamos.
Here’s an observation: women who prefer expensive shoes, clothing and handbags are often working beside and with women who proclaim to be more focused, more intelligent, more this, more that. One type loves expensive things and one type does not. So, how has such divergent types of women found themselves occupying the same work space and vying for the same positions?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone wearing Louboutins at work or court in my city, but after reading this post and all the comments, now I really want some. I would definitely wear them to work if I had them. I’m lusting after the Simple 70 pumps (I can’t really wear the higher heels).
Bob Marley says you can please some people some time, but you can’t please all the people all the time (don’t know if he originally said it though). For every person who judges you negatively for an expensive bag, there is another who won’t even notice, and still another who will judge you favorably. Your colleagues losing sweat over the bag/shoe/watch you wear are not your problem. Rather, focus on producing high quality work at the office, dress professionally to the tune of your pocket book, be genuinely friendly toward others, and call it a day. We need to be a little thick skinned about some of this female pettiness.
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