Tuesday’s TPS Report: Delman Bella Pumps
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Our daily TPS reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.
In honor of Piperlime's third anniversary, they're having an unusual sale: place an order today and get a $25 gift certificate for your NEXT purchase. We'll take it! We like these Delman pumps in brown, one of Piperlime's “bestsellers” — and on sale. We like the 2″ heel height, the soft leather, and the classic curve of the vamp. They were $325, now on sale for $190. (Available in black and brown in sizes 5 – 11.) Women's shoes & accessories: Delman Bella – Dark brown calf
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Sales of note for 5/21/25:
- Nordstrom – The Half-Yearly Sale has begun! Lots of markdowns on AGL (50%!), Weitzman, Tumi, Frank & Eileen, Zella, Natori, Cole Haan, Boss, Theory, Reiss (coats), Vince, Eileen Fisher, Spanx, and Frame (denim and silk blouses)
- Nordstrom Rack – Looking for a deal on a Dyson hairdryer? The Rack has several refurbished ones for $199-$240 (instead of $400+) — but they're final sale only.
- Ann Taylor – 50% off summer-ready styles
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 10% off new women's styles with code + sale up to 50% off
- Eloquii – 50-60% off select styles
- J.Crew – 60% off sale, and 40% off packing picks (prices as marked)
- J.Crew Factory – New arrivals, plus up to 60% off everything plus extra 50% off clearance
- M.M.LaFleur – Lots of twill suiting on sale! Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off.
- Rothy's – Up to 50% off last-chance styles
- Spanx – Free shipping on everything
- Talbots – 30% off dresses, skirts, shoes, and accessories
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- is imposter syndrome a real thing?
- talk to me about the estrogen patch for perimenopause
- where did you “learn to clean“?
- how do you travel light with business clothes?
- what do you answer if prospective dates ask you if you “like your job”?
- how gross is it to put spilt jam back in the container?
- how do you know if you're irritable from depression vs irritable from stuff being irritating?
- what are you doing for meals if you don't cook or barely cook?
The site has been looking REALLY strange lately (yesterday and today) on my PC. It’s fine at home on my Apple, though…
I hate to be a downer but these may be the single ugliest shoes I have ever seen – bad color, bad toe, bad height, bad heel shape shoes that I imagine my great grandmother wearing – shoes do seem to be a hot button on this site though – I’ll be interested to see how many people totally disagree with me. (full disclosure – I’m in the red or 4″ or metallic flats ok crowd)
I’ve actually been on the look out for shoes just like this. Yes, not especially attractive, but fits the bill for conservative offices. Still slightly beyond my normal price point though.
Ugh, do not like brown pumps, and find the heel very cheap looking. Maybe the black ones wouldn’t be too bad, but I agree, too conservative and conventional looking to warrant the price tag. You could get shoes of comparable quality and similar look for a much lower price, and save your money to invest in something really distinctive and better looking.
My initial reaction was that these shoes seem matronly–very conservative and boring.
If it was possible to fall asleep while looking at shoe, this would be it. The only time I can see needing this conservative a shoe is for certain types of job interviews, but for that you won’t be wearing the shoe often enough to want to spend $190. For this price, I want something a little more special than a cheap looking, boring brown shoe like this.
I like them. I’ve learned to spend a little on some boring, conservative-but-classy, comfortable shoes that will hold up. I’m more likely to trek some distances and have to keep up with a male loafer pace when I’m wearing the boring uniform-suit than when I have the freedom to wear fun, distinctive shoes. Those are usually the days I stick to the office and don’t need to walk much, so I don’t mind if they can’t take a few miles without killing my feet.
There’s nothing WRONG with this, exactly, but that is one seriously boring shoe. I think I would feel depressed every time I looked at my feet! Even if you need something ultra-conservative and feel that peeptoes = streetwalker, I think there are much prettier and more fashionable options out there. (But I’m with AH – bring on the red and the 4″ heels!)
I ordered these in brown from Gilt (but received them in black mistakenly and will return). They seem to fit well, are well made and have an elegant almond shape to the toe. I agree these are conservative, but don’t find them to be matronly despite the relatively low heel (I usually wear around 3 inch heels).
The heel reminds me of my high school geometry teacher, a former nun. Maybe in about 40 years when I’m 70.
I like these. Of course, I could be your grandmother. But honestly, they have nice lines, and would show off the turn of your ankle…
Ummm…the heel is very early 80s throwback, color flat/ugly and if you want matronly shoes, just go to Auditions or Madison Square and save some $$. I am certain you can get very similar shoes for about 1/3 of the sale price. FAIL.
Corporette, there is a happy medium between purple suede shoes and these. I am happy to be your roving shoe correspondent to find something cute for your site. You just don’t seem to have the shoe taste gene.
Very harsh, MJ . . . I also find this shoe a tad boring, but Corporette does an excellent job of finding a variety of items that appeal to a variety of women! One person’s shoe masterpiece is another one’s payless disaster . . . but that’s why the recommendations on this site are such gems. Corporette gives a great sample of everything out there that is work appropriate. I don’t think you have cause to challenge her taste level . . .
I just bought these and wore them yesterday for the first time. Yes, they aren’t the most exciting shoes, but they are very well made, and very comfortable .
I’m sort of surprised that some people have commented about not wanting to spend this kind of money on such a boring shoe. In my mind, the plain, boring, wear-it-150-times per year shoes are exactly the right ones to spend more on.
This might not be my most favorite shoe ever (and I will admit that I’ve never owned a shoe by this brand, so I’m only assuming that price = quality in this case), but one standard (and “boring”) pair of black and brown pumps is where I spend the majority of my shoe budget. For the wear them once-a-month statement shoes, I’m less concerned about getting superior quality.
Whole-heartedly with you.
I’m with you.
Agree 100 percent.
It’s not that I wouldn’t spend money on the shoes I wear day in and day out – it’s just that if I’m going to spend that kind of money, I want to find something that is cuter than this pair. It does make sense to go for higher quality in the shoes you wear 150 x per year, but there are conservative and comfortable shoes out there that are less boring and therefore worth the money, IMO.
Yes, yes, and yes.
I only wear lower heels, but I agree that these are really old-ladyish. Sorry.
Ok, I was about to jump on the “matronly” train (and yes, I am also in the red shoe/peep toe camp), but then I went to the piperlime website to see all of the angles – it’s actually a pretty nice shoe! From the side, the heel isn’t as chunky as it looks in this picture, and I think the white lighting is making the normal matte leather look cheap. Anyway, for what it’s worth, I have a couple of pairs of Delman flats and can say that the $350 price tag is most likely due to quality construction and comfort, so $190 is a good price. They make a good shoe.
Agree on the quality of Delman flats. I wear a pair almost daily to work (yes, the same pair – call me boring :) ) and they hold up really, really well.
These look terrible in the pic, but are much cuter in real life. I read somewhere once that Marilyn Monroe used to wear Delman shoes all the time, and maybe that has something to do with why I don’t think of them as dowdy, but they really are quite charming and just the right touch of retro in person.
Agree w/r/t Delman quality – they wear beautifully. I’ve also heard Marilyn mentioned – something in the shape of the heel usually saves them from being frumpy, even in a plain style like this one.
Yes, much cuter if you see from all angles. Though, Stuart Weitzman’s Muse are my go-to pump, which was a former Corporette pick (and a testament to the presence of a “shoe taste gene,”)!
I’ll have to check those out! I am in the market for new chocolate-brown pumps and these are sold out in my size.
I love Delman flats, I’m just not feeling these heels.
Cole Haan pumps just as conservative and much cuter.
So Corporette, I guess I have said enough times that I am not a huge fan of your usual shoe choices, but you have a point about the every day shoes, and I guess these aren’t too bad. :)
That being said, why don’t you do something on some really beautiful and high-end, but still professional, shoes? You have amazing brand named clothes on splurge Mondays but I don’t see the same with shoes. Like, the perfect black heels – and get into the good stuff, the Christian Loubutin, the Manolos…you know, the fun “sex in the city” shoe porn that we all want to buy if we just had the money.
Just my 2 cents, but I am guessing others may be with me on this. And yup, would be more than happy to provide suggestions! :)