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Updated: Mar 21, 2019 86 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Penelope Pumps

Coffee Break

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These blush-colored pumps from Malone Souliers really look like the classic pump if you're looking for a beige/blush/nude-for-you pump. When you see them on the model, it's clear why these are such great shoes — they just blend seamlessly with her legs — but I think they would also work for both darker and lighter skin tones. They  also have a vampy, vixeny sort of vibe with the curved details. The shoes are $595 at Shopbop in sizes 35–41.5. There are also these really cute pumps, but they're almost sold out! Penelope Pumps   For more affordable options, try these from Ann Taylor or Bettye Muller. This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 10.10.24

  • Nordstrom – Extra 25% off clearance (through 10/14); there's a lot from reader favorites like Boss, FARM Rio, Marc Fisher LTD, AGL, and more. Plus: free 2-day shipping, and cardmembers earn 6x points per dollar (3X the points on beauty).
  • Ann Taylor – Extra 50% off sale (ends 10/12)
  • Banana Republic Factory – Up to 50% off everything plus extra 25% off your $125+ purchase
  • Boden – 10% off new styles with code; free shipping over $75
  • Eloquii – Extra 50% off a lot of sale items, with code
  • J.Crew – 40% off sitewide
  • J.Crew Factory – 50% off entire site, plus extra 25% off orders $150+
  • Lo & Sons – Fall Sale, up to 35% off
  • M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
  • Neiman Marcus – Sale on sale, up to 85% off
  • Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
  • Talbots – 50% off 2+ markdowns
  • Target – Circle week, deals on 1000s of items
  • White House Black Market – Buy one, get one – 50% off full price styles

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

Some of our latest threadjacks include:

About Kat

Kat Griffin is the founder, publisher, and editor-in-chief of Corporette. You can read more about her here.

Comments

  1. Cat

    Sorry, these are not officewear in my moderately-conservative office. Anything that can be described as having a vampy, vixeny vibe belongs firmly in “fancy trendy-with-influencers restaurant,” not work.

    • Anonymous

      My suburban law firm would not even notice these. They’re nude pumps.

    • Anon

      These would be totally fine where I work. A “sexy” shoe isn’t going to raise eyebrows at all if you’re wearing it with otherwise appropriate clothes. Sorry.

      • Ellen

        Yes, the manageing partner would not approve, but his brother would! I am to conservative a person to wear these @ work. Dad thinks they look like the inside bark of a tree! FOOEY!

    • AnonZ

      Yes, the manageing partner would not approve, but his brother would! I am to conservative a person to wear these @ work. Dad thinks they look like the inside bark of a tree! FOOEY!

      • Curly

        Yeahhhhhh. If Kat’s description didn’t use the words “vampy” and “vixeny,” I wonder if there would have been the same initial reaction. This takes the pearl clutching to a new level, truly.

        • Anon

          +1 I don’t understand how a nude pump isn’t office appropriate absent Kats description. If I’d read the comments first I would have expected a strappy sandal heel

      • Anonymous

        It is just costume-y. Like it would go with your super-hero outfit to make it office-appropriate.

        • Anonymous

          That’s absurd. It’s just a tiny shoe detail. It adds visual interest in potentially the most subtle way possible.

          These are not clown shoes. These are not stripper shoes. These are slightly less boring than usual nude pumps.

    • Anon

      I think Kat’s description makes them sound totally inappropriate, but the actual shoes are fine!

    • Never too many shoes...

      I would absolutely wear these to work. Or is highlighting the well know sexually enticing instep now too much? Honestly, some people here make it seem like we should just wear a floor length sack and be done with it…

      • MagicUnicorn

        But only a well-tailored floor length sack in a season appropriate color and fabric.

        • Housecounsel

          I would not hesitate to wear these in a work setting. Maybe not in front of a jury, but anywhere eslse.

          • MagicUnicorn

            The shoes or the well-tailored sack? :)

            I also see nothing inappropriate about the shoes themselves. Kat’s description seems unnecessarily salacious.

  2. Belle Boyd

    There is not a thing about these that say “classic” pump. And ‘vampy’ and ‘vixeny’ is not a vibe I want to project at work, certainly not in stilettos! SMH.

      • Sadie

        That’s an odd thing to say. They’re pretty standard pumps with an extra curve. Absent the curved side, I wear shoes like this literally every day, they’re high heeled pumps. They aren’t hard to walk in. Like…at all.

        • Anonymous

          I totally want your feet then. My feet, 100 mm heels that are skinny –> not happening. Plus, I will find the first pavement crack and scrape the leather off of one if not both heels.

          #can’thavenicethings

          • Inspired by Hermione

            Yes, this. I don’t think they’re work inappropriate. But I do think I’d kill myself and/or wreck them day one.

        • anon

          Well I’m very happy for you that your feet don’t become uncomfortable in pointy-toed, 3.5 inch high stilettos. Mine do not. For me, that shoe represents minimal stability and trouble walking comfortably and in a natural gait. It’s not an odd thing to say. I am not a pioneer in pointing out that heels can be difficult to walk in…. like, at all.

          • Monte

            But you didn’t say that this shoe would be uncomfortable for you — and I’m with you there, my elderly, jacked feet would absolutely revolt on me — you indicated that no professional could wear these. It’s an odd comment with a fair amount of judgment behind it.

      • Anon

        That’s my thing. Whatever, they’re kind of ugly but not the ugliest shoe I’ve ever seen, but if you’re dumb enough to do this to your feet (and knees and hips) then I’m going to think you’re not very smart overall. Sorry.

  3. LaurenB

    It’s not so much that it’s vampy and vixenly, I think it’s just a cheap-shoe look. Pass.

    • Anonymous

      No, it doesn’t. The Payless shoes are usually visually quiet. This is costume-y. Or kink-signalling. It’s . . . something.

        • Anonymous

          It’s like what daytime soap actresses wear when they have an “office” job that involves running a company and looking important and seducing the head of a rival company during merger talks. It’s a bit Alexis Carrington Colby Dexter, but she’s have the stones to wear it in a real color and not in patent leather either. I see Alexis being on #TeamSuede.

        • emeralds

          What kind of kink do you do that these shoes would signal it? Honestly curious.

    • Vicky Austin

      Don’t insult Payless like that.

      (joking, in case it wasn’t obvious)

  5. Shoe Fly

    These shoes are beautiful. I did wonder how they looked on an actual person, and the website shows that. Sorry they’re not in budget (or style) but I think they’re a great pick (and pic).

  6. Anon

    Can we have a book thread? I’m in a reading rut. What are you currently reading? What was your best read of 2019 so far?
    My answers: Not currently reading anything, need suggestions. Best read of 2019 so far was Michelle Obama’s memoir Becoming.

    • Abby

      I started reading The Everlasting Meal because of a suggestion on this board! Also want to read I Will Teach You To Be Rich, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F, Strong Curves, and The Millionaire Next Door.
      I always suggest reading Game of Thrones to others even if you’ve seen the TV show. So good!

      • Miss

        I love Everlasting Meal.

        On Game of Thrones, it’s a good story but it’s super rape-y. I had a hard time getting through it and I’m not prudish, just don’t enjoy graphic descriptions of sexual violence and humiliation.

        My favorite books that I’ve read recently are:
        Educated
        Sun Does Shine
        All You Can Ever Know
        How to Change Your Mind
        There, There
        Great Believers
        American Prison
        Friend

    • Anonymous

      “Never Split the Difference”

      It’s about negotiating. It was an amazing read. Just reading the amazon reviews got my mind going and it is one of the few books that I own and I’m already re-reading it. Just. So. Good.

    • Senior Attorney

      I just finished News of the World by Paulette Jiles for my book club and really liked it.

      Other recent thumbs-ups:

      The Books of Babel Trilogy by Josiah Bancroft
      the Cormoran Strike books by J K Rowling writing as Robert Galbraith
      The Heavens by Sandra Newman

    • SC

      I just finished The Woman Who Smashed Codes and really enjoyed it. Recently, I’ve also liked Circe, Six of Crows, and the 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle.

    • emeralds

      My best recent read was Circe my Madeleine Miller (The Song of Achilles would go on my best books of 2018 list). Just finished Dopesick, which was also excellent. That was two excellent but heavy books in a row, so I’m going for something light and fluffy next.

      One of my two new year’s resolutions for 2019 is to track the books I read. I just dragged myself onto the Goodreads bandwagon.

      • anon

        Ooh if you liked Dopesick, I recommend Beth Macy’s first book, Factory Man. It’s not fluffy, but it’s less depressing (it’s about international trade).

    • anon

      I enjoyed Prarie Fires, the Laura Ingalls Wilder biography. Some of the historical and environmental context fwlt very relevant to contemporary issues. Not a light read, though.
      Also, Heart Berries, which has won several awards, is bothoonone of the best and one of the darkest books I have ever read.

    • Vicky Austin

      I’ll play, even though I go weeks at a time being “too tired” to read! Currently on Tolkien’s “The Book of Lost Tales.” So far this year I’ve enjoyed H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald (about grief), been unimpressed by A Brief History of Time (I don’t know what I thought I was getting into, but I guess I was hoping for more about how the physics of the universe do and don’t fit into our posited theology?), and added Searching for Sunday by Rachel Held Evans to my list. I also listened to Prep by Curtis Sittenfeld and had mixed feelings. It was pretty good boarding school escapism, but I wanted to give the protagonist a good smack more than once.

      • Anonymous

        Three of my favorite living authors are Helens; Helen Macdonald is one (the others are Helen Oyeyemi and Helen Dewitt).

        I’ve been wondering what it would be like to go back and read Tolkien for the first time as an adult; maybe I should!

    • Inspired by Hermione

      I just finished Kate Quinn’s new book, The Huntress. Loved it.

      Other books I’ve loved recently:
      Heart’s Invisible Furies- I wasn’t sure I was going to like this, but I devoured it. I listened to the whole 20ish hours in a week
      Dopesick- not an easy read, but especially with the discussion around the 7-day scrip for opiates this week, very timely
      The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen, Age 83 and 1/4 and the sequel released on Tuesday, On the Bright Side- lovely, fun, funny books. I’ve laughed until I cried and cried real tears while reading both.
      Call the Midwife- I’ve never seen the show, but I really enjoyed the book. It’s a trilogy, too!
      RBG: A Life- Long, but I learned so much and love her even more.
      The Storied Life of AJ Fikry- A cute, short read about a bookstore owner
      American Prison- Another difficult but important read
      Bad Feminist- I hadn’t read it yet and liked it; I described myself as “a feminist that’s sort of lazy about it” a few days ago and so this book really spoke to me.

      I agree with anon about Prairie Fires. I loved the Little House books and this was an excellent way to bring them into my adult life. I also liked Caroline, though, which is a factionalized account of Caroline Ingalls in the first few years after leaving the little house in the woods.

      I read an advanced copy of Daughter of Molokai last fall, which is the sequel to Alan Brennert’s Molokai. It was just released in February and I cannot recommend it enough. Molokai is my favorite book and I feel that Daughter makes it even better.

      Favorite books from 2018: Where the Crawdads Sing (could go on for ages), Pachinko, A Gentleman in Moscow, Beneath a Scarlet Sky, Next Year in Havana, Radical Candor (a business book about leadership and professional teamwork), Educated, An American Marriage, Fear.

      • Housecounsel

        If you liked Bad Feminist, check out all of Roxane Gay’s other work. Her fiction is heavy but brilliant. I am kind of a groupie.

    • Inspired by Hermione

      I find that Reese Witherspoon’s book club picks are generally solid. I’ve liked almost every one she recommended.

    • Carrots

      I read “A Man Called Ove” at the very beginning of the year and it made me sob and also laugh so hard. It was really a great read. Also really liked Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, though trigger warning for child abuse in it. Born a Crime and Fall of Giants also ranked high on my recent read list

      • Inspired by Hermione

        If you liked both of these, you might like The Secret Diary of Hendrik Groen! It’s a bit of a lighter tone than A Man Called Ove but the two main characters have some similarities about how they interact with their world.

    • Cb

      Recent faves include an American marriage, home fire, and meet me at the museum.

    • BB

      Convenience Store Woman. It’s very short and translated from Japanese. It made me think about what it means to fit in and be truly happy with your life.

    • anon

      I recently enjoyed Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens. I did the audiobook and it was great. Was looking forward to my commutes.

    • Anon

      Books I liked this year:

      The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo
      Where the Crawdads Sing
      The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
      Sadie
      Parkland: Birth of a Movement
      The Magpie Murders
      Josh and Hazel’s Guide to Not Dating
      Er*tic Stories for Punjabi Widows
      Station 11
      The Lying Game

    • Rainbow Hair

      This year I’m only reading books by women. I recently read Lullabies for Little Criminals and really liked (???) it. It’s like, a sort of heavy horrible story, but not hopeless.

  7. anon and stuck

    I feel stuck. I’m an in-house lawyer with decent hours but I just don’t know if I want to be a lawyer anymore. After some shifts within our department a few months ago, I took on more responsibility and asked for more money. I was denied and told that we were paid according to tenure. Since then, boss hired two more senior people (for a lot more money). So it’s clear there’s no upward growth for me and I knew I did not want to stay here for long. The problem is I don’t know what else to do. After a few years in biglaw, I definitely don’t want to go back to a firm again. The biggest issue that I see is that there is no real half-speed in law. And it feels like the parts I love the most and am really good at are a smaller and smaller percentage of what I do… all of which makes me feel really un-enthused at other in-house listings.

    Some outside considerations:
    – We want to have kids soon (start trying next month) and while I think I’d love to stay home with them, I’m not sure I should commit to that before it happens and I know for sure – I may go stir crazy! On the other hand, if I don’t really want to stay in law anyway, does it matter? My company does not offer paid maternity leave and I would be the first in my department to have a baby if I’m still here. Given how small our department is and how crazy it gets when one of us takes a vacation, I don’t know how that’s going to go.

    – Finances are not a concern. My husband’s job means I could ‘retire’ if I wanted to. A few recent promotions mean he has been working a lot, but he is well compensated for it. I asked for more money because I have been so goal-oriented my whole life and it’s the principle of it! I earned it and am awesome at my job, why shouldn’t I get it? I also have a separate trust, so my personal financial independence is secure outside of my husband.

    I don’t know what to do next and I don’t know who to talk to about it. My husband reminds me that if I wanted to quit my job – even if I don’t know what I want to do next – I can. Or that if I want to focus on my career, I can do that, too. I go back and forth between thinking “just leave, you aren’t happy and have the flexibility” (but for what? I still don’t know and I’m someone who likes a plan) and thinking “just stay here until you have a baby and then you can evaluate” But I feel undervalued at work and the thought of staying here while work frustrations mount makes me dread another year or however long. I understand completely that we are in an extremely, extremely fortunate situation and that this may seem like a non-problem. And it is. I just don’t like feeling like I don’t have a purpose or a goal. I’m so used to that being school- and then career-focused, but at this point I feel burnt out and just want to cook my way through Ina Garten’s recipes while I volunteer at the hospital. Has anyone ever felt like this? Or know anyone who left law and figured things out later?

    • Summer Shoes

      I think it is fairly common to hit a point earlyish in your career where you have “hit all the milestones” but still aren’t happy. I don’t have any really great advice, but do think you should look for another job. Even if you weren’t financially secure without a job, I think you should start looking. What did you like about previous work that you do less of? I would seek out something that solves at least your biggest issue with your current job (sounds like finding work you generally enjoy doing may be at the top of that list) and worry less about having a life plan. And that is coming from someone who is a capital P Planner. Sometimes you just have to try things out and see what feels right. Also, just a note from someone who fits this category, some people hate in house! Just because you don’t want to go back to BigLaw doesn’t mean you wouldn’t like practicing law in another private practice/firm setting.

      • OP

        Thanks, Summer Shoes. I’m just a people person and really miss connecting with people and talking to people. It’s one of my best skills but I don’t know exactly what job that equates. I’m also really good at public speaking. Our department is really lean so when I do get time to chat more with the business side people they adore me, but the dept structure is such that there really isn’t much time. So instead I’m reading contracts and putting out fires in the five areas I now oversee. A friend has told me for years I should teach or work in an academic capacity somehow – either in admissions, career services, academic advising, or adjunct teaching. We are in a major metropolitan city so it’s one thing to think about. I wanted to be a lawyer for a long time and I think it’s been a journey to wrap my head around leaving law for “Unknown.” (I hated billing hours so even a smaller firm is really not my style! – but I’m glad I know this!)

    • Anonymous

      How old are you/how many years into your career? Since money is no object, isn’t this a good opportunity to go do whatever you want to do — and if what you think you want turns out actually not to be great, you can quit that/move again etc.? Is there an area of law you’d like to be in? Would you want to try for a small firm/boutique etc. (knowing you will work more)? Or is there is a certain industry where you’d like to try for in house? Or forgetting law altogether — are there business roles that you’ve always thought looked interesting — anything from strategy to sales to whatever?
      I know you don’t need the money between your husband and your family money, and that’s great. But IDK if I’d just “retire” right now WITHOUT trying a few other things first, esp. if you’re not even in your 40s yet. You may be ok with it for now because you’re burnt out, maybe you’d even be ok with it in the years you have young kids. But if you go down that road without exploring some other things first and consciously deciding that staying home is the road you want (not just the one you’re picking because you don’t like this job), at some point — whether 10 years from now or 20 years from now, often an achievement oriented woman which you clearly are tends to say — I SHOULD HAVE tried x. And reality is if you quit now at say 35, it will be MUCH harder to attempt any such transitions after 10 years of being out of the work force. You are at a huge advantage compared to the rest of the world — you can take a 50k paycut if you really want to do something.

    • Anon

      Somewhat similar shoes, but a few years ahead. I’m doing something awesome in many respects, but would go back to in-house or private practice if I could do so at significantly reduced hours (and expectations for availability) of one of the cool jobs I’ve had. Unfortunately, truly part-time interesting law jobs are super rare.

      This is a great opportunity to think outside the box. What would be awesome? Try to talk to lots of people if you think that might help. Might as well start a new job now while you can still work late without the extra considerations that a baby/kid bring. I wouldn’t jump without something lined up (even if it’s just a plan to do something independently).

    • Anon

      I think this is a common feeling when you’re used to measuring success by outside markers. Don’t quit on the thought that you’re going to have a baby for a few reasons: you have no idea how long it might take you to conceive & you have no idea how you might feel after having a baby. I thought i might want to stay home but i just could not wait to get back and i don’t even like my job that much. I don’t really have maternity leave either- mine was mostly unpaid FMLA. We also couldn’t really afford childcare if i didn’t work and staying home without any time to myself would’ve been a disaster for my mental health. Being a sahm is a million times harder than i ever thought before having kids. My advice to you would be to job search and maybe hire a career coach to talk through some things? If you get pregnant, have a baby and want to stay home you can do that then

    • Anonymous

      From this outsider’s perspective – you have it made!

      Yes, look for another job. You have done what was ‘expected’ and now (super lucky for you) you can go chase that passion! What sets your heart on fire? Since money isn’t a consideration: what would you do all day if no one paid you to do it? Go do that one thing and love your work. Anything they pay you will be ‘bonus’ because you are financially secure.

      It sounds like volunteering at the hospital is an interest or passion. Talk to the hospital, maybe they need a (paid) volunteer coordinator, volunteer trainer, or other staff employee for a position you’d enjoy. Other options: Help children in an overcrowded school, find a nonprofit whose work you support, or any job that makes you happy to get out of bed in the morning.

      You have a wonderful husband,and are a thoughtful accomplished adult. You do not have to justify your degree – leave it behind. Quit your job. Have a baby. Spend your days and your life on your ‘second career’. Congratulations!

    • Anonymous

      Not sure if you’re still reading, but I have been through something similar. Left a high-powered, well-compensated career when I was pregnant with kiddo #3. Stayed home full time for about 4 years, just back to work in a different, but also satisfying and well-compensated career role.

      I’m happy with how my choices turned out, but I would have been MUCH happier if I had ignored the advice to not leave before you leave. It takes time to set yourself up for a good freelance or part-time role, and get the traction to move forward with it. I waited until I was completely overwhelmed with kids + full-time work, and then didn’t have the time or energy to put together a part-time career. I would have been much happier to have had meaningful and rewarding part-time work while being mostly a SAHM.

      Given your financial situation, I would quit immediately, spend the next 9 months finding a new niche and running with it. You could give yourself the benefit of many wonderful options: continue with full-time work in the new field, work part-time, work minimal part-time, go 100% SAHM. You could also bounce between these options.

    • Anonymous

      Not sure if you’re still reading. I know you said you might not want to be a lawyer anymore, so you can totally ignore my advice. But…there is a really big difference between Biglaw and non-Biglaw firms. I work for a mid-sized firm in a Midwest city (about 35-40 attorneys). Mostly WFH because we moved for my husband’s job a few years ago (about 2.5 hrs away from my office). Even when I was in the office full time, my firm was super flexible about when I got my hours in as long as I was generally available to the partners and clients. If there are aspects of lawyering that you like, you might at least consider looking around at smaller firms. It’s not the same as Biglaw at all.

  8. anon

    My husband needs new casual clothes–shorts, polos, nice tshirts, shoes that aren’t tennis shoes. We’re on a budget, and he’s been hesitant to spend anything on himself for a long time, but I’d like to carve out $300 or so from our budget and suggest a couple of stores to him. What are the best inexpensive stores for men’s clothes? It’s been so long since he’s bought clothes that I’m not sure he knows where to go. FWIW, he’s not the type to spend a long time shopping. He’ll want to go to 1-2 places, buy what he needs, and leave as soon as possible.

    • Abby

      My husband gets shoes from Nordstrom the 1901 brand and loves them. Also, TJ Maxx – Ralph Lauren button ups, Dockers khakis, he doesn’t really wear polos anymore, but he also gets golf shirts from there. Nice tshirts, I also like his RL ones, or JCrew has nice options. I frequently will browse JCrew sale section for him and this past year got him a few button ups for under $20.

    • Anonymous

      My husband likes JCrew Outlet tees and shorts, Gap jeans, and UnderArmour polos/quarter zips. UnderArmour has an outlet page on their website and sometimes has good deals. I don’t think Old Navy is as good for men as it is for women.

    • kohls

      Kohls tends to have a really great selection for men. Quality fit and style has impressed me, similar to regular Banana Republic quality.

    • potato

      My husband got his jeans from gap and his shirts for uniqlo. He’s a software developer though, so as long as he doesn’t show up naked to work he’s in good shape.

  10. Traveling Lawyer

    Travel question (surprise surprise): Bahamas or Dominican Republic for a week in July? Will be doing all-inclusive and will just be adults (couples). Preferences? Recommendations for places to stay?

  11. Combo appliance to replace microwave?

    Remodeling kitchen – need some input on microwave/convection/toaster oven combos…..I am replacing the big over the range microwave and would prefer a streamlined countertop option that does more than a microwave. We only use microwave to heat leftovers, so convection oven, toaster oven features are desirable…..please let me know what your using/what works for you….thanks!

    • Rainbow Hair

      How often do you use the microwave to heat leftovers? Because I jealously guard my counter space/kitchen space, I don’t have a microwave. I can reheat everything fine between the toaster oven and the stove top. (I’ll concede that if I wasn’t used to it, the lack of a microwave could be really annoying. But it’s been that way for over 10 years, and I don’t miss it.)

    • Anon

      Why would you eliminate the over the range microwave? That’s where mine is. It has an incorporated fan. I would really miss a microwave for lots of stuff. We don’t eat a lot of frozen dinners or anything but for zapping anything from a cup of coffee that cooled off to slightly thawing frozen homemade stock, i would have to have to dirty and then wash a pan just to heat those things up.

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