I’m really into wedge heels this season, and I like this reasonably-priced shoe from Naturalizer. I like the plain black leather one, myself, but the Naturalizer site has them in a black and gray croc pattern, Amazon
both have them in a brown croc, and Piperlime has them in a lovely wine. They’re $59.99-$79.95.
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Remember that Elvis Costello song, The Angels Wanna Wear My Red Shoes? Well, they would if you were wearing these. Love the rich look to this red suede. The heel height is reasonable (just over 2″) and the strap across the vamp makes it nice and walkable. I’d wear it with a dark brown pant, or a nice dark charcoal pant — gorgeous. They’re $85 at Zappos in the red suede; they also have them in a “dark denim” suede. Note that 6pm has the black kid color on sale; and Lord & Taylor has them in patent (black and taupe) for $49.50. But me? I’d go for the red. Franco Sarto – Eureka (Barolo Suede/Patent) – Footwear
N.B.: Peep toes are not appropriate for all conservative offices — know your own office!
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Staying fashionable on the commute is a dilemma for a lot of professional women — and today’s guest poster has the answer! My friend Kai Falkenberg — newsroom lawyer for Forbes and all-around fabulous and fashionable overachieving chick — rounds up some of her favorites for Fall 2011. Welcome to Corporette, Kai! – Kat
For those like me whose commute involves walking – and occasionally running – street friendly shoes are a must. Long ago I decided changing shoes at work was not for me – wearing sneakers with suits looks ridiculous and it requires too much carrying back and forth. So I was forced to seek out shoes that could brave the subway but look stylish in the boardroom. After years of searching, I’ve finally discovered what works – and it’s not flats. Unless you’re blessed with height, women in the corporate world should wear heels. Particularly if you’re in an office of mostly men, it’s important to be eye level with your peers and that usually requires wearing heels. The solution I’ve found…. is wedges. So most days, regardless of season – you’ll find me wearing some version of a wedge heel. When I’m not wearing wedges, I wear stacked heel shoes – thick heels usually 1 to 2 inches high that provide height without altering your gait. For this Fall, I’ve spotted a number of shoes that could walk the distance…here’s a sampling, below.
These kate spade new york ‘dale’ pump (available at Nordstrom for $298) are a rare find. The tortoise shell stacked heel is both stylish and comfortable. Black patent works for all seasons and the detail on the heel makes them really stand out. These are a “must have” on my fall shopping list.
These Stuart Weitzman – Dotsunwedges are from last season but they’re now on sale at Zappos for $275 (down from $325). They would work well with both skirts and pants and the gold studs give the feminine bows a bit of an edge. They’re a great investment and in my closet would get lots of wear.
These “Marli Too” heels from Kate Spade New York are a great go-with-everything wedge. In addition to the rich chocolate suede pictured, Zappos has them in light camel, navy patent and black patent ($275). They’re perfect for pant suits and will still look chic after many seasons of wear.
I’ve never worn Vera Wang shoes but I’m thinking of trying out these “Monique” heels ($250 at Zappos). I find the elastic back exceedingly comfortable. As many have discovered, wearing nude-for-you shoes lengthens your legs – and the patent gives these a little extra oomph. They’d look terrific with a black suit or with a white blouse and a khaki skirt. If pinky beige isn’t your color, Zappos also has them in black.
Friends of mine have sworn by the Cole Haan heels with the Nike Air technology and this Fall I’m taking the plunge. I have a worn out pair of black patent wedges with rubber soles that are my equivalent of sneakers. I’ve decided to swap those out for these Cole Haan Air Talia wedges which are very reasonably priced (just $178 at Zappos) given that I’ll practically be living in them. They’re also available in black suede
and lantern patent
(which might be good for fire drill days in my role as fire marshall).
I’ve included two splurge choices which I’d rationalize as worth it given the amount of use you will get out of them. These Jimmy Choo ‘Moore’ pumps are made of snake embossed patent leather. They’d look great with a pencil skirt or ankle length pants. They’ve got just the right amount of bling to accent your outfit without overdoing it. At $495 from Nordstrom, they’re a lot less than most other Jimmy Choo heels.
Another worthy splurge — these Salvatore Ferragamo “Flo” wedges are a new take on a classic ($490, Zappos). They are timeless and work for women of any age. They’d be a perfect choice for a business trip – and would complement a wide variety of outfits from grey pinstriped suit to a beige tailored shift dress.
Found other street-friendly shoes to add to this list? Share ‘em here!
Interested in writing something similar for Corporette? Check out our guest posting guidelines.
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Corporette commenters have sung the praises of these $30 wedges for a while (including today), but I don’t think we’ve ever featured them properly on the site. To hear the commenters tell it: They’re comfortable. They’re versatile. (And they come in purple suede, which you know I love.) They’re $30 at Target.com. Women’s Merona® Myka Suede Wedge Shoes – Plum
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Today’s reader mail comes from J, who is trying to keep her pants from dragging on the ground…
As a New Yorker, I walk at least a couple blocks to get to commute to work. As many women do, I usually leave my heels at my desk at work and wear more comfortable shoes to and from work. The problem is that for my pants to look good with heels, they are too long to wear with the comfy flats/cute sneakers I wear for the commute and drag on the dirty streets. How do women who have to walk for part of their commute deal with this conundrum and not ruin their pants???
This is a dilemma a lot of women face, and there are a variety of ways to deal with it. (Pictured: Pants too long, originally uploaded to Flickr by puck90.) First, we would suggest assessing what heel height, in general, you’re comfortable in for work shoes — and having your pants hemmed to that level. As a reminder: your pant should brush the top of your foot, and no more than an inch or so of heel should be showing in the back. For us, that comes to around 2″, 2.5″ — which, honestly, can usually be worn with commuting shoes that have a decent (thick) sole. (We just tend to wear our higher heels exclusively with skirts instead — it works out particularly well in the summertime if we opt to commute in flip-flops.) But let’s say your comfort level is close to 4″. In that case, you have a few options.
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About a week and a half ago, we asked a pivotal question: at what point does a high heel become TOO high for work? As always, the poll is still open, but the initial results are in:
- 44% of readers said a medium heel height was most appropriate for work — 3.5″ being the absolute highest.
- 33% said 3.5″ or higher was acceptable, so long as the shoe itself was appropriate for work — nothing a teenager would wear.
- 12% said any heel height was fine, so long as you could walk in it
- 9% said low heels were the only ones appropriate for the office: 2.5″ or under.
Pictured above: Christian Louboutin’s Marie Antoinette shoe, available only in Paris boutiques. Commenters repeatedly stressed that the heel had to be in proportion to the outfit: the higher the heel, the lower the hemline of the skirt – if not wearing pants with your towering heels. Some noted that they only wore 4″ heels with pants. Proper hemming is very important here: your pants should almost entirely cover the heel. (We would argue that readers should trek to and from work in the same height of heel that they wear at the office, but for those who don’t agree with us there are gadgets to help you hem your pants temporarily, such as Zakkerz, pictured below.)
There was general agreement that platforms are not acceptable office shoes; wedges were also not popular with readers. (We would disagree with that and say it depends on the kind of wedge — the chunkier the wedge, the more inappropriate it is — but a triangular-shaped wedge that blends with the shoe would be all right with us. For example, something like the
Nine West – Tuffy (Brown) – Footwear, pictured at right (available at Zappos.com for $78.95.)
Above all, though, readers noted that the shoe itself should be tasteful. As one commented, “never, ever wear clear heels to work. Never.” Another suggested readers not purchase their heels at the Hustler store. (Or perhaps, just save those Hustler shoes for the, uh, weekend.)
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