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Sure, we all know what wardrobe essentials for work professional women are supposed to have in their closets, but if you’re buying one for the first time or replacing one you’ve worn into the ground, it can be a pain to find exactly the right incarnation in stores. In “The Hunt,” we search the stores for a basic item that every woman should have.
We haven't done a Hunt on stylish booties for the office in a while, so let's discuss, ladies. What are your favorite booties for work? There are so many options out there right now — sock booties! booties with block heels! Western booties! sleek stiletto heels! Booties that come up to mid-calf; booties that stop at the ankle.
So do tell — how many pairs of booties do you have in your wardrobe right now? Which ones do you wear with skirts and dresses, which with pants? Which ones are the most comfortable; which ones aren't but are worth the pain? (Do you commute in booties or, like many, prefer knee-high boots for your commute?)
(Two related stories of note: I think you're A-OK to wear booties in January, but you as spring approaches you may want to check out our last discussion on when to STOP wearing booties and tights in a seasonal sense, as well as what boots to wear with tights to work…)
As of 2024, some of our favorite general boots for work outfits include the ones below…
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First, some general categories to round up of stylish booties for the office:
- Hall of Famers (specific styles that have stood the test of time): Alexander Wang, Blondo, Marc Fisher LTD, Rag & Bone, Aquatalia
- Under $150: 1901, Naturalizer, Blondo, Treasure & Bond, Franco Sarto
- Extended widths (AA, C, W): Weitzman (M W), Dolce Vita (M W), Vaneli (N M W), David Tate (AA-EE)
- Extended sizes (4-13): Stuart Weitzman (4-12), Ecco (35-42), Dolce Vita (6-13), Vaneli (4-12), David Tate (6-13)
- Waterproof: Aquatalia, Børn, Blondo, La Canadienne
- Comfort: Taryn Rose, AGL, Eileen Fisher, Cole Haan, Naturalizer, Munro (don’t forget to check out our entire guide to comfortable heels!)
Looking for older versions? We last went on hunts for booties in 2019, 2018, and 2015… and wow the booties from 2010 and 2009 look dated now.
I'm a fan of Franco Sarto in general for comfortable but stylish heels, so I'm not surprised by the high ratings these boots are getting at DSW — but I am at the price. They're $89! Nice. They're available in sizes 6–11, in black, brown, and a pretty burgundy croc print.
I don't think the 1901 shoe line has been around for very long, but I keep seeing shoes with great ratings — including these $129 boots with cap toes and walkable block heels. I like! They come in sizes 5–10 at Nordstrom.
Sock booties for work: yea or nay? The Glove Boot is a bestseller at Everlane (now in 6 colors!) and at $155 is pretty affordable; it comes in sizes 5–11. Along similar lines, these knit booties from Via Spiga ($206) are bestsellers at Bloomingdale's, and M.M.LaFleur also offers both a stiletto and block heel in a 3D knit (but for closer to $400). If you're looking for a super low, walkable heel and a knit bootie, these Eileen Fisher ones from Nordstrom have a great rating.
We've featured these Sam Edelman boots before, and they're bestsellers at both Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, with tons of colors and sizes (Bloomingdale's still has the matte leather if you don't like the suede). They're available in sizes 5–11, with some colors as low as $111.
These higher heeled booties from Marc Fisher LTD are catching up with their lower-heeled, uber popular sister shoe — I like the super walkable block heel but the sleek, sophisticated look with the tall bootie. They come in a ton of different colors and prints, available in sizes 5–11 in most for $199-$219.
These 2″ heels from Ann Taylor look great with both skirts and pants; I particularly like the slightly wider bit at the top and the tassel detail. They're regularly $228 (available in sizes 5–11, black and brown). Along similar lines, this more Western bootie from Sam Edelman also has a tassel detail and is highly rated.
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The original Scarlett
Missing from the list are my go-tos, Loeffler Randall Isla booties- comfy but with a pointed toe still
ElisaR
i can’t quite get on the booties w/ a dress bandwagon. i feel like it looks weird on me. of course i see it on other people and they look great! might be the wrong shoe…. i think i could make the AT one work
Anon
Same, I only do this for casual looks because it never looks polished. I have giant calves and thin ankles so it could just be my proportions that make it look funky.
anon
Same proportions and I also don’t love the look on me personally. But plenty of people rock it!
Ellen
I love them, but the manageing partner said I can NOT wear them at work b/c my legs are not long enough to make them work for him. He insists on closed toe pumps that match my outfit; but NEVER booties! FOOEY!
Emily
I bought the wide-leg wool pants from JCrew that were featured last week (maybe a couple of weeks ago?) and I cannot for the life of me figure out what shoes to wear with them. Do I have to do tall, pointy heels? Could a pointed bootie with a narrower shaft work? Would love suggestions!
ElisaR
i think a pointy heel would look good but i’m old so i don’t wear those anymore. I do have those pants though and I wear a wedge with them. I think pointy or round toe work. I have both.
Cat
I like pointed toes with wide leg pants — the peep of shoe at the bottom is so elongating! My favorites are low block heels with a pointed toe, but any heel height will do so long as your pants are hemmed accordingly!
PolyD
I am currently wearing wide leg pants with booties with a slightly pointed toe (maybe a bit blunter than a true almond toe) and about a 2 inch heel. The pants cover all but the tips of the boot. I think it looks okay, but I am not sure the pants themselves are the most flattering on me. I feel like they could actually stand to be a bit more fitted in the butt.
Emily
This is so helpful, thank you! I was hoping to make a bootie work, I basically only wear pumps to weddings at this point, ha.
AwayEmily
I am devastated that they stopped making the sam edelman petty in regular black leather. I just ordered a bunch of similar replacements from Zappos, I will see if any of them work…
Anonymous
AGREED!!!
Anon for this
I made a minor mistake at work about 2 weeks ago (miscommunication with a client) and am having a really hard time moving past the situation. As expected, the partner in charge of the file dressed me down for the error, but he delivered his frustrations in a passive-aggressive way that hit harder than I had thought it would. I’ve only been with this firm for about a year, and it has overall been a dream job that I feel very lucky to have.
This is the first file I’ve handled for this partner, who is generally smug but well-respected in my practice area. Basically, after I apologized for the situation, he just smiled and said that “while he’s sure this isn’t the case with me, sometimes they hire people who look great on paper but just don’t get it and can’t do the job.” Ouch.
I’m usually very confident at work, and I know I’m good at my job. And, rationally, I know that the client service mistake I made wasn’t substantive and has as much to do with the client’s expectations as anything. Still, I’ve been having uncontrollable anxiety and what feels like symptoms of a panic attack almost daily since it happened. I feel like I could cry at any moment, heartbeat races, can’t keep food down, etc. any time I’m in my office or open my laptop at home. I don’t know why this has shaken me so much. I think I’ve just tried so, so hard to do a good job all year and impress everyone and this episode just makes me feel imposter syndrome to the extreme.
All of this has made me realize it’s time to get serious about finding a good therapist and some healthy coping mechanisms for stress. In the meantime, though, please give me your best tips for recovering from a mistake at work and how to hold onto a positive self-image when things don’t go perfectly.
Anonymous
I’m so so sorry I’ve been there and it’s awful and it gets better. Yes definitely therapy but also remind yourself that you are worth more than your job. There are too many lawyers eager to abuse and demean subordinates. In many fields this behavior isn’t tolerated.
Ellen
Agreed. This partner, tho, is a real turdball who uses his partner status to be passive aggressive. Myrna worked with a guy like that at her old investement bank who treated her similarly, and then had the nerve to ask her if she wanted to come to his condo and have s-x! She said mabye, but never did b/c she did not want to lose her reputation. Men can be such schlubs. FOOEY on them!
Anon Runner
What the partner said is completely unhelpful and jerky. I understand the anxiety that develops after making a mistake at work. The best thing to do is to put it out of your mind, and just keep moving forward. From your post it doesn’t sound like it was a fatal mistake. EVERYONE makes mistakes at some point. Seriously. Even biglaw lawyers. Feel better :)
Senior Attorney
Honestly, repeat after me: “Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes. Everybody makes mistakes.”
For reals.
Big hugs. I know this is hard. Go find a therapist and take care of yourself!
Jules
Exactly this – everyone makes mistakes. I made what seemed to be a big mistake when I was in my first year of practice, and the partner in charge/head of the litigation department in my small-ish firm basically said, “yeah, that was a mistake. Let’s talk about how to fix it.” I felt awful, but we fixed it and moved on. And obviously I survived – it’s 27 years later, I’m a name partner in a different firm in a different city and I have had the same conversation going the other way with associates here.
You will get through this just fine, I promise you. And I’m sending you hugs in the meantime.
Paper chaser
His comment says way more about him than about you. Every single attorney makes mistakes. It’s how you handle the aftermath that matters. I am sure he is well aware just how cutting such a comment would be to your self-esteem. Maybe he is cruel. Maybe he thought it would “motivate” you not to make another mistake. Don’t let that happen. Focus on doing your best work and don’t let him know that it bothered you. Hope you feel better soon.
Anon
You are not alone— I have been struggling with a similar situation. I know how hard it can be to try to build up your self esteem after that. Try to surround yourself with your supporters, both at work and personally. If this continues happening, it might not be the best place for you to grow. Sending hugs and good vibes.
HR
Important thing to know about brilliant jerks is if they spend time to provide you with a feedback, even in a very belittling form, they are invested in your success.
They don’t waste their time on people they want to let go. They just believe that if they soften the blow delivering a feedback they won’t get heard.
I’m an HR, and I have to deal with that a lot.
Last week one of our junior associate employees made a serious mistake that could’ve cost us a lot. He made a decision above his grade without asking anyone, and that decision was wrong. However, he was trying to do what’s best for the company. He is well-known hard-worker, always trying to improve, but sometimes he follows his heart instead of thinking.
So the senior executive (his boss’ boss) decided to forgive him and fixed this mistake, which wasn’t easy for him.
Afterwards this senior executive delivered very harsh feedback to a guy. The last words were, I believe, “ Congratulations on not being fired one day before your birthday”. It was a day before the guy’s birthday.
But in the end of the day this senior exec could’ve get that junior associate fired, he chose to stick up his neck for him instead. And he wanted to be sure that junior associate understood the severity of a situation, and never made the same mistake again.
AnonInfinity
I’m sure this is true in some cases, but it’s not usually been the case in law firms in my experience or that of my friends. Sure, the OP can reflect on why the mistake happened and what she could do differently next time. But delivering feedback in the above demeaning, rude way that makes someone lose sleep is deeply unprofessional. Saying that someone who was so rude is actually “on your team” somehow reminds me of when we were younger and people told me boys were rude to me because they liked me. Ok probably they’re just being rude, and I don’t think we should have to make excuses for them or accept the behavior.
I worked with partners like this for many years, finally left, and could not be happier with the decision. By all reports, they are still the same miserable people, dragging others down with them.
Anon
We’ve all made work errors – some larger than others. It’s important to acknowledge that work mistakes that are caught and make you feel like crap can be the best teachers – you certainly aren’t going to make the same mistake twice.
During my first year as an associate, I was working with a senior associate who was about to go on maternity leave. I know that she was probably extremely stressed and had a lot going on – but she told me that all of her cases had been taken over by a senior partner in another one of the firm’s offices. I didn’t realize that no one had copied the senior partner on the calendar entries for the hearings for the cases that she was expected to take over. So one day, I received a very angry call from short-fused judge demanding to know why the senior associate on maternity leave wasn’t in court to represent her client.
To be fair, there were a number of other people involved with this mix-up, but it could’ve easily been avoided with better communication and I learned to never make assumptions. Even if I come off as annoying when double-checking things multiple times, I know that all of my bases are covered.
I’ve also learned that the way you handle mistakes is sometimes more important than the mistake themselves. People have so much more respect for someone who can admit to their mistake, apologize, and then do whatever they can to fix it. I’ve seen people turn minor mistakes into huge mistakes by trying to cover them up.
Ali
For the past couple of years I’ve been having major foot issues. Paul Green booties are my go-to. They are flat, fashionable, and comfy!