You know, it has been far too long since we expressed our love for purple shoes. (Unless we’re crazy and we did it last week, in which case, our apologies.) They go with navy and black, they add a dose of funk (in a conservative way), and, in general, they’re great. We had not seen the “plumeria” color in Cole Haan before — but we must say, we’re loving it. They’re $278 at Zappos. Cole Haan – Carma OT Air Pump (Plumeria Snake Embossed) – Footwear
(Note to readers — gauge your office culture before wearing open-toed shoes like this; they are inappropriate in the more conservative spaces.)
(L-2)
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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.)
Readers, what are your thoughts?
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Today’s reader is with us in our desire for fall…
Fall shoe question: where in the world can I find leather shoes SANS platforms and peep toes? I’m also tired of all the patent leather. So much of this year’s spring, summer, and now fall lines are peep toes and the platforms are getting higher and higher. Lots of trampy, youthful looks out there. Nordstroms, DSW storefronts are loaded with them…and on line it’s worse. I really think a shoe (here in Houston) can have details and texture…not looking so Nun-like. Gosh. Becoming a bit of crisis as one of my black pumps/tstraps (Circa Joan and David) now needs a new sole!
We would argue that platforms and peep toes are inappropriate in a conservative office year-round — not just fall — but maybe that’s just us. Whatever it is, we share your concern: it is incredibly difficult to find classic, grown-up, beautiful shoes out there. We would perhaps suggest focusing on brands you like rather than specific shoe merchants. For example: Taryn Rose shoes (expensive), Cole Haan’s Nike Air shoes (mid-level) and Sudini (less expensive) are all brands that focus on classic styles; note that at Zappos you can set it up so the web site e-mails you ever time one of these brands has a new shoe available.
A sophisticated t-strap seems to be a rare commodity right now. We did find the T-strap pictured above, however: Matisse Women’s Ava T-Strap Pump
, available at Endless.com for $128. Also check out the Ecco Gisbourne shoes, which we featured for a TPS a while back (and now on sale at Endless).
Readers, weigh in — what brands and stores do you rely on for work shoes?
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