Coffee Break: Leather Euro Slide Card Holder

86 Comments

1. I need to put myself of on shopping ban. I feel like I’ve been ordering and returning like crazy lately — I live in a small town with few stores available. I’d like to take a break but find myself constantly tempted by Pintrest, blogs and this site. Any suggestions for strengthening my will power?

   1. Get rid of Pinterest. Full stop.

   2. I have the same problem and I don’t have Pinterest.

   3. So, I think I read about this on happiness project but there are two types of people– people who need to stop doing something cold turkey and completely, and people who need to allow themselves some “cheating” within limits or they go crazy. I’m firmly in category 2. So, for instance, if I’m dieting, I can do portion control, but I can’t deny myself anything entirely.

      Step one: know thyself
      Step two: if you need to quit cold turkey, just do it. If you don’t, I find that redirecting the consumerist urges into something that only does a small amount of damage to my wallet is good. I got Birchbox for a while. $10 a month. Knowing I had something coming in the mail was helpful. Or sometimes when I just want to mindlessly shop, I’ll go to target but only buy something that I already need, like a few groceries or paper towels. Boring, but it seems to work.

   4. I did a shopping ban for the first quarter of 2015. It was HARD but I found the things that helped were (1) saying I was doing it to my DH, so I didn’t want any packages arriving at the house! and (2) putting stuff in my cart online and then closing the tab. After about a month it got easier.

   5. I am on permanent “shopping ban” which for me means I get $50/month full stop. Some times i will save up a few months of shopping money for a nice bag or other months I’ll find a perfect silk tank. By allowing myself something, I don’t go crazy. Plus it means whatever I get I really want and is absolutely perfect.

   6. I’m on a ban from Memorial Day to Labor Day. Join me!

      1. I’m thinking about it…

      2. I will join you! I was on one but it fell apart due to some pieces that I actually ended up needing (like, “rip in my only pair of casual pants” needing, not “it’s so beautiful I neeeeed it” needing), and then that snowballed into open season on new stuff. Labor Day. We can make it.

   7. I am also the queen of ordering & returning. But I’m doing it a lot less now that I cleaned out my closet and pared my clothes down to what I absolutely love. I made a list of what I truly need/want to fill in the holes in my current wardrobe, and I’m only allowed to shop for those things (and what I buy has to be the absolute perfect piece, no more “oh it’s on sale and it’s close!”). I’m much more thoughtful about it now, and having that list to go on keeps me from feeling totally deprived like a true shopping ban would.

      1. I love this, and I am trying the exact same thing! I started a google docs spreadsheet of things I want to upgrade/replace or something I’m searching for. It’s really new for me but so far so good…

      2. Interesting idea. I should do an inventory first.

      3. I was about to suggest the same! It really helps to know what you have, determine the many combinations you already own, and hone in on your wardrobe holes.

   8. I’m currently on a shopping ban, which I started a few months ago. I am not purchasing any “stuff,” which I define as “non-consumable physical objects.” So I can still buy nice shampoo and food and makeup to my heart’s content, as long as it’s something that I will use up. The only exception is if something I need in my daily life and already have breaks and needs to be replaced. It’s partially motivated by wanting to spend less money, but primarily by wanting to take a step back from commercialism and stop the accumulation of STUFF in my small apartment. Some time spent traveling earlier this year helped me realize how little stuff I actually need.

      What’s working for me is finding other places to direct the attention that I used to spend shopping. I liked shopping because (1) it was a mindless, fun break from work and (2) finding just the right thing gave me a feeling of accomplishment. During the day, I used to take short breaks from work to shop online. Now I spend that time reading the newspaper, making lists of books to read (it’s amazing how much time you can spend browsing and reading reviews on amazon — although I’m trying to BORROW them instead of buy them :)), researching future travel destinations, even reading silly articles on Buzzfeed. At home, I’ve started learning a new language, and I’m also organizing my apartment (which has the secondary effect of helping me realize that I have so. much. stuff. especially clothes, and I don’t need any more!), both of which give me the feeling of accomplishment I was getting from shopping. My advice is to figure out what role shopping has in your life, and find something else that will provide you with the same feeling without buying stuff. [On a side note I’ve also used this approach for overeating — figured out what I was trying to get out of food aside from sustenance, and found other things to fill that space instead — and it’s worked pretty well.]

      1. Out of curiosity, what are the feelings you want from food that you can replace? I like to feel sociable and fancy and thus go out for fancy cocktails with friends. When I want to feel luxurious at home (which is all the time), I like to drink wine or fancy beer -which I try replacing with fancy tea, with some success. At home, I also want to feel comforted, which means chocolate or carbs – I haven’t figured out how to replace that yet.

         1. Pretty similar to you, it sounds like — I was using food as a treat/reward when I wanted to spoil myself, and also when I was sad or lonely and wanted to feel better, and sometimes even out of boredom. The language learning and apartment cleaning have distracted me from eating while bored (I have too much to do at home now!), and I’ve found things that are not food-based to help with treating/rewarding myself and feeling comforted: (1) doing “spa” type things at home (face masks, nice lotions, giving myself a mani-pedi etc.) – I buy nicer products so it feels like a splurge but they aren’t that expensive compared to eating out all the time/buying tons of clothes; (2) ordering cheesy movies on pay-per-view (only $5-10!) and watching trashy television; (3) making plans outside with friends (easier now that it’s nice out!) like hanging out in the park or wandering around the city; and (4) spontaneous weekend naps! they’re the best. I’ve also started working out a lot, which makes me want to eat healthier (because hey, if I’m getting up at 6 a.m. to work out, I don’t want to counteract that!).

   9. I order and return a lot but keep it from junking up my closet. I only keep things that I truly love and make myself get rid of 2 things for every new thing I bring into the house.

   10. Go through the last six months of receipts and figure out how much you’ve spent.

       Then take a hard look at your closet and figure out if you actually need anything, or if you merely want new/fun/different/fashionable things. I’ve found that it’s helpful (as in, I get things that I really love and wear out) if I do a hard analysis of what gaps need filling in. Then when I want to shop, I go on a deliberate hunt for that particular item – and end up much happier with it, and my daily clothing choices, as a result.

       Okay, that’s not a shopping ban, but looking through your closet and figuring out how little you actually need (presumably) would help with the ban.

       1. very helpful! Thank you.

   11. @ShoppingBan: If it helps set aside a certain amount of money in cash in an envelope and only spend what is in there for your month. Bonus, it keeps you from online shopping!

   12. Unsubscribe from all the blog “newsletters” and notifications and catalog notifications. Out of sight out of mind.

2. Background info: I have a 6 month old. My husband and I work well-paying professional careers with difficult hours. We live in a LCOL area. No student loans or consumer debt. If we stick with our current jobs, we could theoretically pay off our mortgage in about 5 years, possibly even more quickly than that. We plan to be one-and-done as far as kids go.

   I know some of you have stayed in biglaw until you’ve paid off student loans, and I think this is a similar “what would you do?” question. Would you stay working at high paying, high demand careers for the first 5-ish years of your kid’s life if it meant being able to pay off your mortgage and then have a lot more financial and career freedom thereafter?

   ETA: neither of us is particularly skipping-through-fields-of-daisies happy in our jobs but neither is miserable either

   1. You don’t know what the future might bring in the way of financial curveballs. If you’re relatively satisfied with things as they are, keep your jobs. Bear in mind that kids take up much more of your time as they get older – homework, activities, teenage angst. So if your plans come to fruition, you’ll be able to focus on your older child’s many needs more than the rest of us jugglers.

      1. +1 re: financial curveballs, you never know what the future holds. If you can pay it off comfortably it will give you so much more freedom. You may even be able to cut back more as the child gets older too. I don’t know if this will help but someone once said to me that even though you want to be there for your kids, finding someone to feed an infant can be easier than having someone to fill in when they are older. She was referencing the fact that being there when her children were young (all 5 of them) was important but her presence or lack thereof was felt more when they were older. We were talking about career and motherhood, and at that point her kids were in college and high school etc. I’m certainly not suggesting that you focus only on work and ignore your child, just offering some perspective.

         1. My wise daycare director pointed out that finding childcare becomes impossible right at the time your kids need the most adult supervision: 12-17. She said to work a million hours when your kids are young and high quality care is available so that you can afford to cut back and be with them when they’re old enough to get in trouble. I hadn’t thought of it that way before, but it sure makes sense.

         2. I agree with this. Your kids really need you more as they get to be school age.

            1. +1. We had incredible high-quality day care for the first few years of our child’s life, but now that she is in school the options are much more limited, the quality is terrible, and none offer transportation to after-school activities. I never wanted to be a stay-home mom until my daughter started school. Now I wish more than anything that I could quit my job to raise my daughter.

         3. I agree. A wise colleague told me years ago (long before I had kids), that you want to be there when they’re babies, but they want you when they’re pre-teens/teens — even if they don’t necessarily act like it!

   2. I would definitely not quit completely unless I was really miserable, but I might look for something with a significant pay cut but significantly better hours if I were in your shoes. Maybe whichever one of you is less happy looks first while the other person stays in the secure, high-paying job? I tend to be pretty financially risk-adverse, but I don’t think pushing out paying your mortgage off completely from 5 years to 10 or 15 is that risky. Your kid will only be young once and if you can cut back and still be financially responsible, it makes sense to me.

   3. I wouldn’t stay at big law just to pay off the mortgage, at least, not both of us. IMO, there is just too much stress in trying to manage two parents in high-stress careers. (Of course, I’m a pretty strong advocate of having one parent stay home, which I know is not everyone’s cup of tea, but having both parents in very demanding jobs sounds awful to me.) Paying off your mortgage early is a great goal, but it’s pretty ambitious – I would focus on the fact that you’re pretty far ahead already just by not having student loans and consumer debt and living in a low cost area. Those things give you a great deal of financial freedom in and of themselves – I would bet that one or both of you could move to less demanding careers and still have a good bit of financial freedom. (I live in a low cost area, too, and, even with only one income (that’s not big law) and student loans, we’re not really struggling. Once the loans are paid, we should be in pretty good shape.)

      1. And having one person lose the ability to support the self and their family because they spent 15 hours out of the workforce sounds hellishly stressful to me.

         I’d keep working.

         1. +1000 to not being out of the workforce for 5-15 years and the resultant inability to support oneself and ones’ family.

         2. “Stay at home parent of young kid(s)” does not necessarily mean 15 years out of the work force. If there’s only one kid, after no more than 6 years the kid is in school every day for 7 hours a day. Also, there are ways to stay connected, do part-time work from home etc. I know everyone is different and each family has to do what’s right for them, and the readership here is largely working women with working spouses, but it’s kind of sad that Lyssa gets jumped on every time she talks about the benefits of having one parent stay home. Not everyone can swing it, and not everyone who could wants to do it, which is fine, but it really is great for the kid(s).

            1. Thanks, anon. I was reading back through this trying to figure out how on earth I had offended when answering a question posed as “what would you do” with what *I* would do, and specifically saying that it wasn’t for everyone.

               And just for the record, I’m all for women working (as evidenced by, you know, me) – I think that far, far more dads should stay home. :)

         3. I said that she should look at one or both of them taking a less demanding career. I never said anyone should leave the workforce, just that that was what my family decided was best for us. If they’re this close to being mortgage-free, supporting a family is not really a huge concern here.

            1. Well, no, you said you were a “strong advocate” of one parent staying home, which implies a judgment of what other people should do.

            2. This. By all means share what works for you. Calling what other people does really stressful, saying you don’t understand it, and being a strong advocate is what people find off putting.

               You clearly don’t think 2 working parents is fine. Own that. Don’t come crying that you’re misunderstood.

            3. She said she was a “strong advocate” because that’s what she, personally, believes. And has the ability to not immediately jump on some other commentor’s back when they *horror* express a different opinion.

            4. Oh, good heavens. It wasn’t a personal attack on your choices. She specifically asked what we would do, and I answered. It’s not like someone asked what shoes to wear and I responded with a sermon about the joys of having a stay at home husband.

               My family did what we think is best, and you and your family are completely free to do the same. Are you really so sensitive about your situation that that someone thinking that another way of doing things might be better (but not in any way trying to make you do the same, but only answering a question someone else posed about it, while pointing out that my way was not for everyone) is a big problem for you?

            5. Yes, and when you believe other people should do things and express that belief, you shouldn’t be surprised when they tell you why they don’t believe people should do that thing and express their belief. Seriously, this is a site full of lawyers – why all this delicate flower handwringing over substantive disagreement?

            6. That’s a . . . very strange interpretation of what happened here. Anon (and Anonymous, if you are different people), I’m sorry that your life is such that you need to worry so much that someone is being judgmental towards you by having a different opinion or making different life choices.

            7. Wow, and your comment, as it has throughout this discussion, represents a complete lack of understanding of what was actually said. You said you advocated for a parent staying home, someone replied saying they didn’t think staying home was a good idea and would keep working, and you then proceeded to throw a fit about people thinking you are judgmental. No. People are entitled to disagree with your opinions, even if they are strongly held. That is a normal part of discussing things, not some special way to persecute you.

            8. I don’t have a horse in this race substantively (though I lean toward favoring two working parents), but it reads to me like Lyssa has maintained a pretty even temper and Anon is the one jumping to extreme conclusions and assumptions, getting defensive, and throwing a fit.

         4. This. Staying at home definitely helps when the other person has a very demanding job. However, I can attest to the fact that getting back into the workforce is NOT easy, I have seen friends struggle. Even a few years break can make it difficult. Being out of the workforce can also shrink your social circle depending on where you live or what your networking opportunities are. I recall there was a thread about networking as a (new) mum on the mums site. If someone is going to drop out entirely they should do so knowing that getting back in requires some work.

   4. Yay! I love Leather accesories like this one, Kat, and at $28, it isnt a bad deal! I will have to pay for it myself, tho b/c it is NOT clotheing that I need to impress the bench.

      As for the OP, I agree with the peeople who say do NOT quit. You have a job and a husband and a kid, and can pay the morgage off in 5 years. Do it then quit and never work again. If you quit now and your husband gets lazy, you will have probelems with the morgage later, and guess what, you will be older and trying to get BACK into the job market, and you will be both stale and older lookeing after being out of workforce for 5 years and they will NOT want you as much as you are wanted now. Trust me, time is NOT on our side as legal professionals. We may know more as we age, but our tuchuses get bigger and our boobies sag, and that is NOT what law firms want to pay big bucks for. Judges are NOT anxius to stare at our boobies once they sag, Grandma Leyeh says, and Grandma Trudy agrees. Grandma Trudy also thinks I can do more NOW to lure men in then I can in 5 years.

      So be smart and use your assets NOW, get paid enough to pay off the morgage then quit for GOOD and then you can just work out at the Gym every day while your kid is in school, and then at the end of the day, be there emotionally and sexueally for your HUSBAND, and you will be all set! YAY!!!!

   5. I would. Because I don’t think children need constantly to have their parents around. They need to be taken care of and a nanny or day care can do that too. I wouldn’t stay to pay off the mortgage in 5 years (and in today’s interest rate climate this is probably objectively a bad financial move). I’d stay because I value the security and satisfaction of employment in the long term.

      1. I agree. What’s your interest rate on the mortgage? Assuming you got it in the last few years, it’s probably pretty low. Plus you get to deduct the interest. Instead of dumping money into the mortgage, why not put tons into retirement, the kid’s college fund, an index fund etc. right now? Then you’d have the extra bump early on to earn interest and could taper off contributions down the road if necessary.

         1. The interest rate is low. We actually don’t get to itemize since everything here (property taxes, etc.) is so low. We’re putting a ton into retirement (15-20% of gross income), have a good emergency fund, a decent portfolio outside of that, and will be doing about $5k a year for college savings. I guess we could bump up saving for college.

            I think I am just impatient and have this vision of how very quickly we could make immense financial progress (growing portfolios! saving for college!) once we don’t have to pay for a house. I actually work in the financial industry, and think so much of it is psychological rather than numerical when it comes to making decisions. For me, the idea of having a house that I own has a meaning that is beyond something purely numerical.

            No matter what, we are both going to continue to work, it’s just whether we could take lower paying, lower stress jobs, vs. continuing to do what we’re doing now.

            Y’all have certainly given me some food for thought though. Thank you for all the great responses!

            1. I agree. I switched to a 15 year mortgage for just this reason. I want to pay off my house and not have my mortgage. Will probably end up finishing mortgage around the same time the kids finish college. But then I’ll feel so good! My mortgage isn’t even that high because we put a lot down on the house, but it feels psycic-ly heavier.

   6. Outside of the mortgage payment, how are you sitting on retirement savings, emergency fund and other big ticket financial security items?

      1. Yeah, as tempting as it may be to pay off the big debt, I’m not comfortable tying up all my money in something as hard to liquidate as a house. I’d rather fund the emergency fund and retirement funds with the extra money. [This assumes that you aren’t upside down on the house and that the payment is still manageable on a reduced income].

         1. +1

   7. I wouldn’t quit a job I didn’t hate with a 9-month-old unless I felt like my life was out of control because of it (which would mean I hated the job). But, if you can manage your life and you are happy enough, keep the high salary for now.

      I get the fixation on getting rid of a big expense but as other posters have noted, the mortgage is actually a pretty OK cost to carry assuming you have a decent rate on it. I would instead suggest what we have done: Keep the high paying job and up your savings. Throw as much as you can into all the hard-to-access savings vehicles to keep yourself from thinking you have “extra” money (this is totally psychological): max out 401ks, IRAs even if you can’t deduct them, contribute the maximum to college savings (I think it’s about 13k/year per spouse but don’t quote me on this), and keep a huge emergency cushion as well as a savings account for other big ticket items (e.g., a new car). If you do all this for the next 5 years you will be in awesome financial shape and you can reduce your savings rate and therefore your income right when your child will start kindergarten and one or both of you can scale down your careers to assume more child care responsibilities. It becomes more fun to interact with your child and it matters to them a lot more that you have time for them. (Although I do love baby snuggles and toddler sweetness, they really just don’t notice or care that much that I was away for most of the day. Kindergartener notices and cares and I assume it’s only going to get worse.) Plus having that kind of financial security is absolutely priceless in terms of the impact on our stress levels.

      I personally think the sweet spot is a 30-hour-a-week but intellectually demanding job that allows you to be home after school on most days with your child or leave them in extended care for a little while, but not the whole extra time between when school ends and a regular workday ends. I wish I could do this but my pre-tenure academic reality doesn’t work that well.

      1. What’s the benefit of an IRA if you can’t deduct it?

         1. Tax-free growth? So, maybe you don’t get the tax break on the initial investment, but the value is still protected as it grows over time? (haven’t needed to look into this myself, so I’m spitballing here).

         2. Tax-deferred appreciation/growth.
            Or even better, backdoor it into a Roth IRA (since you’ve already paid tax on the contributions) and then all appreciation grows completely tax-free.

3. I’ve been trying to get better at, and my boss has encouraged me to do more, networking and getting more involved in the community. There’s a young attorney’s happy hour tonight that I had planned to attend, but I really just don’t want to. I’m 9 months pregnant, have a sore throat, and am very tired, and all I want to do is go home and hug my toddler and sleep. But I’ve missed a bunch of these things lately, and, given the fact that I’m about to take leave, I won’t really get much opportunity to do them for a while, and, hey, at least my giant belly is a good conversation starter.

   Tell me to suck it up and at least make an appearance. Or, alternatively, give me permission to skip it.

   1. Skip it! I’m single with no kids and can’t bring myself to go to that stuff half the time just because I’d rather be home in my PJs baking, watching TV or sleeping. 9 months preggo is a great excuse.

   2. Can you go for 30-45 minutes and then leave? I think you have a great excuse to skip it but if you haven’t gone in a while and won’t get a chance to go for a while, it may be worth it to just go for a bit and make an appearance.

   3. I hate networking things. Are you maintaining your network outside of events? Do you regularly go to lunch or coffee with people? Send emails? Notice and send a note when they do something impressive? Engage in discussions in your field on social media?

      1. This. Do you really have to go to “networking things”? Or can you use other ways to build your network?

   4. Go. Being good at networking takes practice. Some of these events are more useful than others, but it’s still good to get to know the other lawyers in town.

   5. Skip it. Networking events only have value if you are actually going to follow up with the people you meet. At 9 months pregnant, you’re not going to do that, so don’t sink a few hours of chit-chat in without any real upside (since you’ve already said you won’t enjoy it for those few hours).

      1. This.

   6. Suck it up. This is what being the sole breadwinner requires. Tongue in cheek but also truth.

   7. Suck it up. It’s like going to the gym – the hardest part is getting yourself there. My response would be different if you didn’t lead with the acknowledgment that you need to improve this skill. Part of this skill is holding yourself accountable and treating networking like any other professional appointment – once you make the appointment, you can’t blow it off unless you would also cancel a client appointment.

   8. Go, if only because you are about to disappear on leave for a while.

      1. I actually found maternity leave a much better time to do this stuff, FYI. I didn’t feel as bad missing time with the kids because I was with them all day.

4. Hi, y’all. I’m hoping you can help me out here. My mom is looking for a pair of nice red shorts. When I say nice, I just mean a little dressier, maybe something like a sateen, but at the very least a nice twill or chino. Probably not linen, but she may be open to that idea. We can’t find a true red anywhere! What complicates this a little more is that she is probably a size 16, and heavy in the legs, so nothing short. A 5″ inseam at a minimum, but she’d probably prefer 7″ or Bermudas. We’ve checked Talbots, J. Crew, Gap, Banana Republic, Old Navy, Coldwater Creek, Brooks Brothers, Nordstrom, and Kohl’s with no luck. I think she’d prefer to be under $50, but she may be convinced to go higher for the perfect pair. Thank you!

   1. These are sold out in 16 but you might try calling to see if they can source a pair in a physical store for you. 9in inseam and the “bright scarlet” looks pretty red. I have these in other colors and they are nice chino.

      https://factory.jcrew.com/womens-clothing/shorts/9inchfrankie/PRD~C0812/C0812.jsp?Nbrd=F&Nloc=en_US&Nrpp=48&Npge=1&Ntrm=frankie&isSaleItem=false&color_name=BRIGHT SCARLET&isFromSearch=true&isNewSearch=true&hash=row5

   2. Here you go: http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/karen-scott-cuffed-knit-waistband-woven-shorts?ID=1920993&PartnerID=LINKSHARE&cm_mmc=LINKSHARE-_-2-_-12-_-MP212&LinkshareID=J84DHJLQkR4-x1jZDCaEBD3SRkdxFW0mbw
      Amazon also has some options.

   3. These may be too dark http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/84698?feat=502180-GN3&page=bayside-twill-shorts-original-fit-hidden-comfort-waist-9&attrValue_0=Deep%20Red&productId=1210802

   4. Lands End!

      1. +1, or Eddie Bauer. Maybe Christoper & Banks or CJ Banks (I think that’s the sister store?)

   5. http://www.dockers.com/US/en_US/womens-clothing-shorts/p/EVB000005

   6. Ann Taylor has some great bermudas. Check them out.

   7. http://www.dillards.com/product/Intro-Claudia-Stretch-Sateen-Mid-Shorts_301_-1_301_504869723?df=04318011_zi_bright_white&categoryId=590714&scrollTop=100

5. did you try JC Penney? They had 9 colors in men’s-did not check for women’s but…

6. Has anyone here left law for an engineering position? I have a BS in engineering and really want to leave law to “get back to my roots”.

   I am thinking of doing a masters of science in human factors or interface design through a local university (it is accredited and has a great local reputation) for about $12k. I can do two classes part time before I quit my day job for a fulltime program (with internship). Human factors was my favorite course in undergrad and is something that continues to interest me.

   I also recently got an inheritance so I could support myself for the 1.5 years it would take to complete the degree.

   I looked in my network last night and I don’t know anyone who I could even do an informational interview with.

   1. I went from law (kind of, I barely lasted a year in a firm) to regulatory work in med device. So, similar law to STEM move. I know there are MS degree programs fo Reg Affairs that have popped up, but…they don’t really have the best reputation within industry, in terms of being useful. As in, they provide education, but it doesn’t replace experience to any meaningful degree. Reg Affairs can be a weird area, though, so it may not apply to your discipline.

      TL;dr – I’d probably check the value of the degree vs actual experience in places where you look to be working before sinking the money.

      Is there a local industry group you could tap into (med device, engineering, whatever industry is big in your area)? Maybe they have networking events you could use as a starting point? If you are in MN/upper Midwest, I have a few more specific suggestions.

   2. Where do you want to be working? I know “not-law” but where exactly would you be taking this human factors (? that’s a new one to me) engineering degree?

7. This is so cute! I love that it comes in so many different colors. My favorites are lilac and violet.

8. Hi Ladies,

   Would like your opinions here….I sprained my ankle quite badly and the doctor has ordered me to wear an aircast ankle splint for at least 2 weeks. The splint looks like a cast just from the bottom of my foot to half way up my calf. You are supposed to wear it with lace up shoes (including the foot with the splint). At my biz casual office Ive been wearing my sneakers with my usual outfits (dress pants). My pants cover the splint so I just look like I have bad fashion choices/practical shoes !

   Now here is the question. Next week, I am heading to an industry event where I will meet many customers and partners. Its not a completely formal event – most men will be in sport jackets/no ties. I would normally wear a suit and heels.

   I cant wear heels with this splint. My choices of shoes are either my white runners or a pair of dark gray laceup skechers (still runners). Do I wear something (a skirt) that makes it clear to the casual observer that I am injured? Or hide the splint under pants and wear shoes that look like they dont belong?

   Im not much for the “look at me” approach, but dont want to show up looking sloppy either!

   1. If it were me, I would wear the skirt, suit, and sneakers. Beyond a few people asking if you’re okay, most people will understand that you sprained your ankle and have limited mobility.

      Being injured doesn’t reflect on your business judgement, but looking sloppy might. You would wear the skirt anyway.

   2. I just went through this and I generally chose to wear my normal clothes and let Das Boot and later Der Splint speak for themselves.

      Also, psst… if it’s just for one day you might want to consider wearing your splint with a pair of non-lace-up shoes. I wore mine a time or two with regular flats and lived to tell the tale.

9. Thanks for the input. I have 3 days of meetings, including of which 2 days will also include walking the show floor.
   I’m not sure the splint will fit inside “regular” shoes without destroying them (it’s pretty bulky). I will see what other options I have.

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