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Coffee Break: Naturalizer – Beacon

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Naturalizer - Beacon (Oxford Brown Leather/Shiny) - FootwearWe got an e-mail from reader C, raving about this “Beacon” shoe:
The heel is higher than it looks and oh-so-so-comfortable. I bought these to be able to commute in dress pants and heels (my comfy commuting flats only work with skirts b/c all my trousers are tailored to heel-length). From the subway stop, I have to walk 3 avenue blocks and 3 street blocks (in NY) to my internship at a not-for-profit law office and these are amaaaazing.
We agree — these are great shoes for pants, either for commuting shoes or just regular running-around-the-office shoes. The brown is on sale today ($69), while the black are at the regular price of $78. (Reader C also noted that she had gotten them for $51 at Nordstrom, but there doesn't seem to be a link online.)  Naturalizer – Beacon (Oxford Brown Leather/Shiny)

Sales of note for 3/21/25:

  • Nordstrom – Spring sale, up to 50% off: Free People, AllSaints, AG, and more
  • Ann Taylor – 25% off suiting + 25% off tops & sweaters + extra 50% off sale
  • Banana Republic Factory – 40% off everything + extra 20% off
  • Eloquii – $39+ dresses & jumpsuits + up to 50% off everything else
  • J.Crew – 25% off select linen & cashmere + up to 50% off select styles + extra 40% off sale
  • J.Crew Factory – Friends & Family Sale: Extra 15% off your purchase + extra 50% off clearance + 50-60% off spring faves
  • M.M.LaFleur – Flash Sale: Get the Ultimate Jardigan for $198 on sale; use code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – Buy 1 get 1 50% off everything, includes markdowns

And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

91 Comments

  2. Please share your comments re sizing on these shoes. I bought the three-tone black/gray/blue Naturalizer shoes that were featured here a while back in my normal size, and they feel snug, like I should have gone up a size.

  5. Does anyone else feel a bit juvenile wearing mary janes to work? Something about them (esp. with the large button featured on this pair) makes me feel a bit junior high in the 90’s. Maybe it was just my junior high. They look comfy. I’d love to know what others think.

    1. I L-O-V-E mary janes! I have a pair of black suede Sofft mary janes that I wear all the time. I’m so bummed that I have to put them away for the summer.

    2. FWIW, I don’t think Mary Janes are a juvenile style. They may go in and out of fashion, but there aren’t that many basic shoe shapes. A strap across the instep is one of the basics: it helps to hold the shoe on.

      Perhaps we need a more grown-up sounding name for the style. I vote something powerful, like Elena Kagans :)

      2. I think what makes them juvenile is that they were worn by many of us when we were very young (talking kindergarten here) – I know that I wore a pair of shiny black patent leather Mary Janes at age 5… anyone else?

        1. I didn’t wear mary janes as a kid. (I went through a saddle shoe phase though). They are popular with the “younger” crowd. My 2.5 year old daughter has lots of mary janes mostly from See Kai Run. (Her current pair is bright pink with flowers on them.) Granted unlike certain celebrity children her shoes don’t have a heal on it, so other than the strap across I don’t really view them as similar shoes.

          1. I think the saddle shoe/mary jane is a question of generation! I was an 80s baby so I wore them around 1990 when I was five…

            But if it’s just a question of heel/no heel… sorry, they’re still patent leather mary janes, and mary jane still = little kid to me without any other alterations…

        2. Ha! What a great article. I’m so fortunate my parents aren’t like that. Where I live, 23 is average marrying age, and 25 is practically an old maid … even still among my generation. My own parents married at 19 and had me at 22. Yet somehow, I never once heard a peep that I should be settling down early. Perhaps in part due to my mother’s reticence about the career she gave up — she dropped out of college to get married and be a SAHM and was never able to fully start a career later in life. When I was at an engagement party in my hometown — at age 29 — my high school principal remarked to me in all seriousness that “My parents must be so relieved that I’m finally getting married.” My mom, when I told her later, just laughed and said “What low expectations. We’ll be relieved when you’ve finished saving for a comfortable retirement. Too bad that will be a longer wait.”

    3. I think it’s more the style of the mary jane than anything else. If it’s boxier in the heel/toe, I think it looks a little more childlike. I saw a petite teacher today wearing that type of mary jane with capris and it took me a while to realize she was not a student.

    4. Mary janes don’t look juvenile to me, but then I don’t think I ever wore them as a child. Maybe they’ll always look little-girl to some people you encounter, but, tough, can’t please everyone, might as well please yourself. (Why is there a song playing in my head? Can’t place it.)

      I do prefer T-straps, though, dunno why, just a preference. And I much prefer either one to regular pumps, since I have difficult feet, and a strap allows me to buy them a little on the large size, and they stay on.

      1. p.s. I had someone blink mightily at me once when I used ‘mary jane’ for a pair of shoes. He’d only ever heard it in relation to marijuana.

  6. those are CUTE – i love mary janes. i have a feeling i’m going to wear mary janes until forever.

  8. I sometimes worry that they look a little juvenile, but they are one of the few styles that stays on my feet. … I have narrow heels, I guess. Those heel-gripped things don’t help me either. : (.

    I do see mary jane style shoes fairly frequently on other women (including attorneys) at the municipal court where I work, so I take comfort in that. : )

  9. These are cute but I’m not sure if the patent leather and the mary jane style combine for a shoe that looks an awful lot like the ones I wore as a little kid… and juvenile is not a look I’m interested in!

  11. Naturalizers do run narrow – several women in my family usually buy narrow width shoes in other brands, but wear a regular width in Naturalizers.
    I am also sick of patent leather – if I wanted shoes with hard edges that never form to my feet, I’d buy plastic ones at Target for half the price. What happened to expensive shoes being made of quality leather?

    1. Sounds good to me! After losing 80 pounds, I’m now a size 4 — but my tummy is definitely not bikini ready :-(

      1. Congrats on the 80# loss! I lost 50 a few years ago and yeah, even though I did it really slowly and in my late 20s, I don’t think my stomach will ever be the same. I figure I’m healthier now and soon I’ll have kids and be in the same position anyway …

        As an aside — that model needs to EAT and EXERCISE. You can tell she’s really just skin and bones and no muscle tone whatsoever, hence she looks “flabby” on her back. That’s an example of thin but totally unhealthy (and not just cuz she’s too thin).

        1. I liked someone’s suggestion that we refrain from commenting on the models’ bodies.

          Not sure that this look would be the most flattering in real life. I picture sitting down and suddenly my mostly-flat upper abs would turn into a mini muffin if I slouched even a bit. Strapless one pieces are my favorite!

        2. Ugh- can we stop with the model critiques? We know nothing about the woman in the picture and how much she eats/exercises. Furthermore, so much can be done in a picture with airbrushing and photoshop that it’s really impossible to tell what her real figure is like.

          I have to say I am not into this high-waisted trend. It seems like you probably have to have a really flat stomach to pull it off or else it will just emphasize any pooch you might have. I feel like a tankini is a bit more forgiving for women who prefer two pieces.

        3. Congratulations on the weight loss – and on keeping it off!

          I do worry about having kids and having to do it all over again…

          I think it’s strange that women on this site are so defensive of super stick thin women that represent a frankly unrealistic ideal that causes all kinds of body image issues for women (if you don’t believe me, check out the research – you can click on my name to see what I’ve found on it) – Why are you all so protective of this??

          1. Because some people are very thin naturally & nobody likes being stereotyped — not people who are larger than the norm & who are assumed to eat too much & be lazy & unhealthy, and not people who are thinner than the norm & who are assumed to be anorexic or starving themselves & unhealthy. No one likes to be judged! Period.

          2. I think that there has been some talk on other sites about how women have to be held to such a high standard by others for how their body looks, that it is best for women not to do the same to “themselves”. Also, since often thin-snarking is done by those who are trying to gain fat acceptance, it is thought to be counter productive. I think Jezebel had a post on this last week.

          3. @ 1L NYC – I went looking for the article but there are so many of them on a similar topic I didn’t find it (though I did read some interesting stuff, thanks :) Also had to Wikipedia fat acceptance, thanks for the learning :)

            I agree with Shayna – It’s not like I think we should be commenting on every model (that would be boring) but censoring (whether by community standards or enforced by Kat) on this topic seems completely counter-productive to me. Especially on models that are so unrealistic (whether airbrushed or real). I really don’t see how “accepting” these images and not commenting on them is not tantamount to accepting and perpetuating these ridiculous notions of women on starvation diets.

            [I realize there are some women for whom being tiny is their natural self and who may feel offended by comments about ultra-thin models, but that is not the majority of people, and it is not most of these models. Also, the comments aren’t directed at these people :o]

            I get the point that we hold ourselves to these ridiculously high standards, but how is keeping quiet about these women (models) who are being displayed everywhere as the “ideal woman” and who perpetuate these high/impossible standards productive? It really doesn’t matter that this particular model may have been airbrushed into nothingness (literally), I mean, I don’t know her. I’m not commenting on her *as a person,* I’m commenting on the image of her that is being displayed to me as an example of an attractive image I (and young girls) should aspire to be.

          5. @ bluebook & Shayna
            I think that when you comment on someone’s appearance, even though that particular person might not feel bad (since they’re probably not even reading your comment!), people like them will feel bad (for example, I look very similar to that model, and although I didn’t feel bad when you wrote that, I am sure if that was all I read all the time, I would probably start questioning something about myself, and that would be bad).
            But the biggest thing is that you might think that you are stopping young girls from idealizing unrealistic body expectations, but really, you don’t know anything about that model, or anyone else with that body type. If someone you know personally is really acting in an unhealthy way (i.e. not eating enough, over exercising/not exercising enough), then you might feel obliged to talk to them about it. But you cannot know someone’s health from their picture. This is really where it is similar to fat acceptance. When you see someone on the subway or in a picture and you think — they’re going to die b/c they’re so fat omg they are unhealthy, you really have no idea how healthy they are. And it is not supposed to be your business.
            Also, this is going to sound super-law-studenty (probably because I am in the middle of taking exams), but it can be a slippery slope with things like this. We don’t want society to comment on everyone’s appearance all the time, because we don’t want to worry about our noses, our legs — the tabloids do it already, and we shouldn’t do it to ourselves.

            Jezebel is down right now, but this is the main gist of that post.

          6. Also, since often thin-snarking is done by those who are trying to gain fat acceptance, it is thought to be counter productive. I think Jezebel had a post on this last week.

            This is generally not true, in my experience. Fat acceptance people tend to smack down thin snark for the very reason that they’re well aware body type is not always either a choice or a moral reflection. Thin snarking tends to be more the result of poorly thought out (albeit well-intentioned) “Real women have curves!!!” sloganeering rather than from people who have taken actual, political positions on the subject.

          7. @ v — I specifically mentioned that since it was the subject of the post I read on Jezebel, not from my own personal experience. You can probably tell my views from the really long comment I just made :-).

          8. IL NYC – I think you’re confusing a concern about unrealistic ideals – and I’m sorry, but for a lot of women, a majority, being a size zero is a unrealistic (and did you look at that ad – the size large was for a size 8 – size 8 is not a large!!!)

            Fat acceptance is ridiculously over the top, yes, but it’s equally ridiculous for you to defend showing only super thin women. My issue, and I’m sorry if this was not clear, is not with thin women, it’s with thin being the sole body type shown as being beautiful.

            It’s not thin-snarking or body snarking to point out that clothing manufacturers and society in general worship at the alter of thin. As someone who has had MAJOR body issues, in no small part due to a perception that thin = pretty (and that everything else = ugly – yes that is simplifying it, but you get the point), I can tell you that showing only thin women as a standard of beauty causes MAJOR problems for a lot of women. In an ideal world all body types would be shown – but until then, pointing out the fact that only a very small segment of the population is being held up as an ideal that most of us will never reach (and if we did, we wouldn’t be healthy) is a way to raise awareness so maybe we will move to a better cultural sense of beauty – and in the mean time the next girl who is a size 8 won’t want to go throw up since some clothing manufacturer has deemed it a size large.

          9. @1LNYU

            I generally agree with you that you won’t always be right in estimating “health” from someone’s appearance, whether thin or large. But I do want to comment on one thing you said:

            But the biggest thing is that you might think that you are stopping young girls from idealizing unrealistic body expectations, but really, you don’t know anything about that model, or anyone else with that body type.

            I don’t know anything about that model, but I do know that most young girls (or women) will never be able to look like that model while following a healthy lifestyle. Yes, there are also women who will naturally look like her and be extremely healthy, but the majority of girls won’t be. And some of them will hurt themselves a great deal to try to look that thin because they think that’s the ideal, as opposed to being happy with whatever their “natural” weight/body is and trying to be healthy.

            I think the solution to all this is to have models of all shapes and sizes, colors, and “looks.” This may never happen because it means having way too many sample sizes for photo shoots (not to mention not having the ‘hanger’ look), but it would give young girls (and women) different “models” to look to, and perhaps some that look more like them, so they could see that they’re not weird, unattractive, or undesirable just because they’ve never seen anyone like them don a Prada / Marc Jacobs / etc. outfit and try to get other people to buy it.

            I don’t know, maybe that will never sell. Perhaps marketers have found out that women buy more things if they’re being sold by people they consider “pretty”, even if those people represent completely unrealistic ideals for the majority of the population.

          10. Sorry to drag this on, but I am not disagreeing that there should be more models of different sizes — this is obviously a huge problem. But saying “this model needs to EAT and EXERCISE” is not the same thing as saying, “I wish there were more body diversity in ads, runways, and so forth”. Just because a body size is unrealistic doesn’t mean that those women are “real”, or that they are automatically unhealthy. The general ad culture IS problematic.

          11. I agree that comments about women who “need to eat” are highly inappropriate! So much of what we see in advertising is fantasy and illusion, and it is simply not possible to view a photograph and diagnose the cure for whatever we think troubles the particular model.

            And I don’t think such observations are justified by the claims that “real women” or “most women” look different than those models. It smacks to me of Sarah Palin and her constant appeal to “real Americans.” It’s not what you’re saying, but what you’re not saying — or, perhaps, it’s not who you’re including, but who you’re excluding — that troubles me.

            The fact of the matter is there are “real women” who look like the women in the fashion spreads. And there are “real women” who don’t. So why, in a community full of women, do we have to tear one another down for being who we are and looking the way we do. There is enough of that in our sex-worshipping, celebrity-driven, male-dominated culture. The fact that some of us want to create a safe online space where those kinds of comments are not the norm should be celebrated . . . and respected, imho.

          12. I’m actually not thin myself but just find it catty and wrong to be brutal about another woman’s body and assume that she has to have things “wrong” with her. I wouldn’t want people to do it to me, and I’m not doing it to someone else.

          13. I agree with 1L & anonymous/legalicious 100%.
            It is just as wrong to comment/assume that very thin people look/are unhealthy as it is to comment/assume that bigger sized people look/are unhealthy.
            Whoever defended this by saying that you are commenting on the way the model appears, and not on her personally — please think about what you are actually saying. If I saw someone in a picture that I “said” looked like, say, an artery clogged heart attack waiting to happen b/c they’re so “fat”, that would be wrong. It is just as wrong to assume that the super thin model is bullemic & unhealthy, etc.
            It is perfectly valid to call for more representative body types to be shown in catalogs, etc., but while this may be what you intend to promote, you’re going about it in a very insensitive way. Moreover, I take issue with the argument that the images being promoted are unrealistic. Certainly, they are not realistic for all of us, but size 12 or 8 or 16 does not have a monopoly on “real.” I find it offensive to suggest that. I also personally think that while it’s great to accept ourselves as we are, it is only in the last 20 or so years or some that we have been as large as we are as a society. Not addressing that issue does a disservice to the whole debate — the idea of ‘normal’ is in flux; saying that X is the norm, when X has never been the norm in the past undermines the credibility of the argument, frankly, for many listeners. I know that’s not a PC sentiment, but that’s something that should be addressed.

          14. Agree with 1LNYC and the ‘Anonymous’ just below her comment. In particular, it’s not nice to say “this woman needs to DIET and EXERCISE”, neither is it nice to say “this model needs to EAT and EXERCISE”. You’re assuming (a) she has a problem and (b) you know the solution.
            If you had a friend who was super-skinny and starves herself (I do, I am very concerned about a friend who may be bulimic) you can advise her to eat and exercise because yes, she may have a problem and you might have the solution.
            But snarking at people just based on their body or size, not based on actual knowledge of their habits, is a no-no in my book.

        4. Oops! The “Anonymous” directly above this post is me! I didn’t realize my usually pre-populated name field was blank.

        5. I’m tiny and don’t take offense. In fact, I agree with you. I’m tired of there being no variety in sizes of models. Stick thin or nothing. I’d like to see what these items look like on other body types, not just mine, as I do buy clothes as gifts.

    3. I think I’ve seen several high-waisted bikinis this year. I don’t remember where, but I think they’re definitely an in trend this year.

    4. I’ll join you. I’m seeing more of them lately, seems to be a Mad Men influence.

      1. If my stomach is the trouble spot would this help? I feel like this would make it worse

        1. High waisted — in my experience — does not help. It would only highlight. But a higher waist — def. helps, I think. I am thinking right under belly button — sort of conservative but not to the point of costume-y.

        2. I have a pouch and high-waisted anything emphasizes it. Ultra-low-waists are bad, too. I need something that hits an inch or two beneath my navel.

    6. I’m waiting for swim suit bottoms that are made like capri pants to come into style. With the aging baby boomers, I’m convinced it’s only a matter of time.

      1. Haha, I actually bought a pair of quick dry sport capris that I wear with a short sleeve rashguard top for beach outings in lieu of a swimsuit due to personal modesty/religious/comfort reasons. I love them and am so happy I’ve figured out a beach outfit since I could never find a suitable bathing suit. Most people just figure I’m trying to avoid skin cancer. (I’m not a baby boomer)

        1. Where did you find them? I’ve been aching to go to the beach, but at a complete loss for what I can wear.

      2. We’re close to the beach, where I usually wear knee-length jams and a short-sleeved t-shirt, which is sort of a local weekend uniform for all ages and genders, with Havaiana flip-flops. All that sunscreen application when in a bathing suit = tedious, and the surf is too strong for a poor swimmer such as myself anyhow.

  15. Anyone have trouble with Naturalizer? I always find their shoes extremely uncomfortable.

    1. For me, if I need shoes and can’t find something I like, and is comfortable, anywhere else, I end up at the Naturalizer store, and can almost always find something I can wear.

      If life can be strange, feet can be even stranger.

    2. i love them, but some styles fit different than others, and some can take a bit to break in (like one day)

      1. It’s true — I have one of the most comfortable & one of the most not pairs of boots, both from Naturalizer.

    3. Have not had major issues, but generally prefer Easy Spirit (if you go to their stores they have some nice wear-to-work-able low heels), and have a shockingly comfortable pair of Franco Sarto shoes with a two inch heel that may be my favorites.

      1. Franco Sarto fits my foot! I have a wider forefoot and a narrow heel, and I can wear almost anything in that brand, sight unseen. It’s the only brand I’ll buy online. And I can wear the heels (or heeled boots) for an entire 12 hour day, walking up to five miles, with minimal discomfort. LOVE them!

        1. I have the same shape foot and the thought of going shoe shopping sometimes just makes me want to sit down and cry. Will give Franco Sarto a try, thanks for mentioning.

          1. Same here, but sometimes need to bulk up the heel even more with a cut-off-at-the-arch sock

    4. Generally they have inadequate arch support and without an insert my arches fall (painfully). But I can actually walk in them, which is an improvement over the vast majority of heels out there.

  16. Does anyone want to help me find some red heels? Not necessarily for work, but for going out. I just need a good accent piece to go with my black/gray dresses.

    I’ve found a couple that are “okay” but I don’t love. What do you all think of these?

    http://www.zappos.com/ecco-imperia-pump-cherry-red-milled-patent

    http://www.zappos.com/madden-girl-jazminee-red-paris

    http://www.zappos.com/mia-riza-red

    My rules include no pointy-toes, no orangey-red, nothing uncomfortable, no open-back and minimize the open-toes and cut-outs in general — I’m just looking for a simple, well-made classic red pump. For a reasonable price. Any ideas?

    Btw, thanks to whoever promoted Nordstom on this site (probably many people did) — I finally looked at their selection (online, they’re not in my city), and was blown away by how much they had to offer, and am now at risk of maxing out my credit card just so I can try on all these lovely items :)

    4. These are hot to trot, but probably higher than you are looking for.

      http://www.endless.com/Michael-Antonio-Womens-Kori-Open/dp/B002GJQGU6/ref=sr_1_67_vp/?cAsin=B002GJXQ3Q&fromPage=search&qid=1273548487549&sr=1-67&asins=B002L16X8E,B0017S22LE,B002E19DE2,B002P51JL2,B002AVVIH6,B002P4S6UA,B001W02TPG,B0013I2YHU,B00282WXSA,B002KR9G92,B002SZWSHS,B003D1QSHC,B001W6QHT4,B002AQSV8K,B002JX7FQI,B002RTCKPU,B002WVOK74,B001E073B4,B002G1ZG7I,B0027VM0UI,B002P66AVU,B002EQAS5U,B00349XAN8,B001TV063A,B0026003AY,B002WW5194,B002PSPH80,B002IFU3KC,B002D49D5Y,B001XURL26,B0026IC1JM,B0036B8W7S,B002JWXW02,B002P4PSWE,B002VKBVXM,B001KU64C2,B00178YXZ2,B002USGXSS,B002PEW4Q2,B0018CJ140,B002WWAVCQ,B002IFU0A0,B0028TTVJ2,B002CYW2N0,B002DMKCPQ,B002P66K5G,B002L30ER8,B002KANTNI,B002EDL3ZC,B002L2WS28,B001KVYKMW,B002WVA6B8,B001M4JHQG,B0028TR22K,B0029XFC1I,B001FB60Y8,B002HTGS7Q,B001XCXG78,B002PAHSEY,B002LIBM9C,B0016BZLZ6,B002AVUVKQ,B002EAOTRE,B0018CMGGA,B002EDDKEE,B001CTXMN0,B002GJXQ3Q,B002P4VECW,B002HJ3I56,B001HSMO8U,B002P66UV0,B001ET5V9Q,B002AJLU76,B002GU7352,B002E19QCG,B002KCOIH2,B002G9AU8U,B002XDF6PG,B001EJN5SK,B00369AEAI,B002G9AO4U,B002PJ5A0Y,B002AQS5PO,B001K3I5BC,B002PDP2TO,B0029NYMZ0,B002GJWHVS,B00170BM54,B002EE75KI,B002L33Q0U,B0016MZM4K,B000XUUUPW,B0018NBE9O,B002GPXPDG,B002CVTZN8,B002P4QESG,B0031P3IUU,B001P5HEXA,B0018N7OYI,B001P06I1O&asinTitle=Michael%20Antonio%20Kori%20Open%20Toe%20Pump&contextTitle=search%20results&page=1&prepickColor=1&size=100&dept=242321011&node=242321011&nodes=242321011&sort=shoesbrowserel2&sizes=519631011&widths=519711011&colors=519126011

  19. I am glad I do not have to walk very far to get to work and can sit at my desk all the time shoeless because I find quite a lot of these shoes to be frumpy. I think most of you all would consider my work heels closer to stripper heels (don’t worry, no clear plastic, but mostly 4″ and with hidden platforms).

  20. Is it ok to wear Mary Janes with skirts? I usually wear them with pants.. I haven’t seen them worn with skirts and am wondering if that makes it look too clunky or schoolgirl-ish.

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