Louboutins

Are Louboutins Appropriate For the Office?

by Kat on 06/21/2011 · 204 comments

in Fashion Gaffes, Shoes

Christian Louboutin Simple 85 PumpsAre 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?

(L-6)

(Check out other comfortable, work-appropriate shoes in the Corporette Guide to Comfortable Heels!)

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Reader mail: Are bare feet in pumps and toe cleavage acceptable?

by C on 10/27/2009 · 122 comments

in Fashion

Today’s reader mail comes from reader E…

My feet get sweaty while wearing pumps all day. Am I supposed to be wearing some type of hosiery-sock with them? How do others deal with the sweaty feet issue? Is it even appropriate to have the bare tops of my feet showing while I’m in pumps?

And in that same vein, what are your thoughts on “toe cleavage?” Some of my pumps are cut so low that I’m flashing toe cleavage at work. Can you recommend pumps that are cut higher?

We’re curious what the readers have to say about this one.  (Pictured above:  Toe Cleavage, originally uploaded to Flickr by cuteheels.) For our $.02: We find it difficult to walk in pumps while wearing trouser socks or tights — on those days we tend to wear Mary Janes, T-straps, or at least something with a higher vamp.  And we’ve seen plenty of women on the streets of New York wearing pumps and bare feet.  There do exist various kinds of socks — toe covers or other — but in our experience they tend to be very difficult to wear with pumps because the cloth from the “sock”  is always showing.   (A guiding principle, though: for the love of God, please do not take your shoes off if you’re sitting in a meeting. In your own office, fine, but no one wants to see bare feet beneath a conference room table.  Actually, no one wants to see bestocking’d feet, either.) But then, our feet don’t get that sweaty — apparently, camel leather shoe inserts are your best bet to helping control that issue.   (If anyone can recommend a brand of such inserts, we’re sure our reader would appreciate it — we can’t seem to find one.)  We would also advise giving your shoes a day “off” between wearings, to let them air out and so forth.

In terms of toe cleavage — this has historically been a controversial issue, and maybe one that’s ripe for a poll. But that said, personally, we don’t mind it.  Here’s our reasoning:  there are a variety of reasons why other types of shoes are considered not acceptable for the office.  The peep toe requires a perfect pedicure (and hopefully the wearer doesn’t have unattractive toe problems, such as hammertoes or things).  The tall boot (which, according to our poll a few weeks ago, 1 out of 5 women would still say is “absolutely, always inappropriate” for the office) veers a little too close to the “dominatrix/stripper” vibe.  And yes, there’s the name — cleavage — but, let’s face it:  a view of your toes isn’t similar to a view of your breasts.   (Also, we’re a little biased because a friend of ours had a great kitten-heeled pair of Louboutins that showed toe cleavage, and we loved. those. shoes.)

poll by twiigs.com

Readers, what are your thoughts?

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