2016 Update: Check out our latest roundup of purple heels for work.
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.
This is one of my favorites, ladies: the purple pump roundup. (A reader just requested it, and I was surprised to see we hadn’t done it since 2012 and 2010! I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again — I think the purple pump is such a versatile shoe that every woman should have at least one purple pair in her closet. You can wear the color with conservative basics (gray, black, navy), or add it as a contrasting color when wearing red, green, or yellow pieces. It can also be a great complimentary color if you’re wearing blue or purple. (IMHO I wouldn’t wear a purple pump with pink, but never say never…) They can be tough to wear with tights, however, so they often look best with bare legs or nude-for-you hose, which makes them perfect for fall, spring, and summer.
While looking, I noticed that bright purple is super popular right now (as you can see below!), as is a darker wine-colored purple — almost more of a red. There were a few Hall of Famers that are available in purple (pictured at bottom): the low-heeled Weitzman Poco, the Edelman Okala, the Cole Haan Air Tali wedge., and the Ferragamo Vara. Ladies, what is your favorite non-neutral shoe color (i.e., not black, gray, navy, brown, or beige)? Have you found any great purple pumps lately? Do you have any favorites bought in previous years?
