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Coffee Break: Warner Ankle Strap Pump

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About two years ago now I was drooling over a gorgeous shoe from Valentino — their Tango pump. (You can still get it in lucky sizes at a few spots like The Outnet.) A classic pump with an ankle strap and a low, walkable heel — sign me up. So I was excited recently to see these Cole Haan pumps because they've got the same classic, ladylike style as the Valentino pumps — but for much less money. These beige pumps keep dipping into and out of stock at Nordstrom in beige and black (today they're in, in sizes 5.5-11), but note that Amazon has a TON of other colors in lucky sizes. At full price the shoe is $160. Warner Ankle Strap Pump Looking for other beige pumps or nude-for-you pumps? Check out our recent roundup! 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 5/19/25:

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

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48 Comments

  1. Hi all, can anyone recommend very thin insoles with arch support for dressier shoes? I am wearing a new pair of Tom’s desert wedge boots today and my small arch support isn’t cutting it. Unfortunately the shoes don’t have a removable insole (otherwise I would tear it out and put my orthotics in). TIA!

    1. I have very flat feet so I need both an insole and an arch. There is no such thing as a thin insole for me. Fortunately, people do NOT look at the bottom of my feet so other than not being able to wear sandals, I am generally good. It is only in my apartment when I take off my shoes do I start to look (and walk) more like a duck. It has not worked against me on my job so far, even with the sturdiest of pumps.

    2. Vionic’s 3/4 insoles are pretty good. You can also buy arch supports that are only the arches from Pedag.

  2. This morning’s thread about affording to live in San Francisco has me wondering about the job I’m considering in Manhattan. Where do people with jobs in NYC live? The job I’m looking at pays $100-125k but the sticker shock from my light apartment search in Manhattan makes that seem low. I would be relocating from a relatively low to medium cost of living area.

    1. Not Manhattan. They live in the outer boroughs, but even that’s tricky, because Brooklyn is almost as expensive as Manhattan now. I think Queens is still okay.

    2. I made around 75-80 and lived in Astoria, Queens. With law school loans, that didn’t leave much left over (Hence the “made”-I moved somewhere for a higher salary and lower cost of living). I actually vastly preferred living in Queens to Manhattan because it’s a little more relaxed (and if you’re in Astoria, there are height restrictions for a lot of the neighborhood, so you can actually see the sky). Before Astoria, I lived in Long Island City, which is also Queens, just across the river from Manhattan and has great views and a wonderful riverfront park, but it’s almost as pricey as Manhattan now. Depending on where in Manhattan you work, neither is a horrible commute (especially if you work in midtown)

    3. The northern reaches of Manhattan are still relatively affordable I think – I work at a nonprofit arts org (read: low pay) and a lot of people live in Inwood, which is more convenient via subway to our office than some outer borough locales. I live in Brooklyn and have a hour commute. Other people live in NJ, Queens, and a few in Manhattan. Staten Island is still affordable and the commute might not be bad to lower Manhattan, but culturally it is pretty different from the other boroughs (in my admittedly limited experience).

    4. I work in Manhattan and live in downtown Jersey City. It’s comparable in price to the outer boroughs (maybe slightly cheaper) and I really like the community here. Commute to the financial district or Midtown West is great.

      You will need to evaluate your budget vs. commute. Pricing here is all relative to how close to the subway or train you are. You can find differences in rent of a few hundred dollars based on just a few blocks’ proximity to the train or a few train stops further from Manhattan.

    5. I’d suggest scoping out the money diaries series on R 29 – they feature a money diary from a woman in NYC at least once a week, and that might give you a good sense of where people are living/how they spend their money across different neighborhoods and salary levels

    6. Jackson Heights, Astoria, Sunnyside. Some parts of Brooklyn, but watch out for the planned L train shutdown next year. Jersey City and Hoboken. Harlem. Upper East Side apartment split with roommates. Depends where you’re commuting to and what you value in a neighborhood.

      1. Also: depends on how much space you want/need and what other expenses you have. I would say between Brooklyn and Queens, Queens is better for midtown commutes and BK for downtown. JC and Hoboken are better for downtown unless your office is near a path train stop. I also know people who like more suburban NJ town like Edgewater, etc., who commute by bus and work near the Port Authority.

        Manhattan itself is also totally doable on that salary, assuming your expectations are reasonable.

    7. I’d suggest reading past issues of “The Hunt” and “Living In” in the NYTimes RE section online. They profile different neighborhoods/city and give a good picture of what it’s like to live somewhere, prices, commutes via bus and/or train, neighbors, amenities like parks and schools.

    8. If you want to live alone, then all of the other posters are correct. You may not be able to swing a studio or one bedroom in Manhattan while making in the 100-120 range (120k take home is about 5k a month, give or take) but you could certainly do so with a roommate or two. I managed to live in a nice newly renovated building in a super desireable neighborhood (to me) with two awesome roommates when I was only making 80k. That said, I have heard of people finding rent stabilized studios in the upper east and upper west under 2k (think: no upgraded appliances, no elevator, 400 sq ft of living space or less). Good luck!

  3. Can anybody recommend a place to buy a nice, heavy (thick? I want it with weight/drape) waffle weave shower curtain? Most of the ones I’ve seen at big box stores are more of a waffle weave print which is not what I’m looking for. TIA!

    1. Didn’t someone here recommend something like this not long ago? Maybe someone else can chime in, but I thought it was from Pottery Barn?

    2. If you don’t mind spending a bit of money, my (non-waffle-weave) shower curtain is from Restoration Hardware and has a great weight to it. The waffle weave one on their website looks very plush. (l.i.n.k to follow)

      2. I’ll speak to the quality of their shower curtains generally, as I have the linen not the waffle weave. The fabric is dense and the construction is great (no loose threads or wonky seams). They are pricey but mine have looked great for years. I machine was cold and gentle, then hang to dry.

      1. I had that one until I washed it and it shrank badly. So be careful if you buy it. I’m pretty sure I did warm water, tumble dry low and lost 6-8”

  4. Oops, i posted this on the black dress post thinking it was the afternoon post. Trying again:

    So I will be in Paris for a few days in May between business and I am looking at my shoe choices. My comfiest shoes for lots of walking are my very broken in Birkenstock Mayaris. Would I be hopelessly un-chic traipsing around in them? I also have low heeled dress shoes that I’m bringing for work for shorter jaunts but I wouldn’t walk a mile in them.

    1. Following!
      If anyone has specific recs for wide feet, those would be appreciated as well!

    2. I wouldn’t wear Birks in Paris — but cute street sneakers are more than acceptable. Even the seemingly-local French women I saw (like those speaking French on the metro) were wearing them.

    4. I don’t know about Paris but last summer everyone was wearing Birkenstocks.

    5. I think Birks are fine in Paris. Honestly there’s no way you’re going to be mistaken for a local regardless of what you wear. It’s ok to look like a tourist because you are touring! Wear what is most comfy, you’ll regret it if you don’t.

      1. I disagree. There’s a middle ground between “blending in so well that a stranger thinks you’re French” (which let’s face it, is unlikely for any Americans no matter how well dressed) and “wearing old comfy sandals, who cares how they look.”

        Plus, May in Paris has very changeable weather – over a Memorial Day visit, we encountered 50-and-drizzling weather (low 60’s and overcast at best).

        1. I’m the OP. I should have been clearer in my description. The sandals are not old and don’t look worn. The cork footbed is broken in, which is a key thing with Birks – they can be quite uncomfortable until that happens. But the visible parts of the shoes still look new.

          I appreciate all the feedback on both sides. I think i will take them along as bedroom slippers and have them as a fall back option in case my feet are absolutely killing me. I will also have some Mary Jane style sneakers (i mostly wear skirts and dresses so I don’t want full lace up sneakers)

        2. I mean, Birks are really trendy right now. I get that they’re not that cute but she’s not going to look hopelessly frumpy in them.

    6. You will look like a badly dressed tourist. They won’t say a thing to your face but still, it doesn’t feel nice to be that person.
      I suggest you find sneakers with good arch support (everyone here wears Adidas Stan Smith). These go with almost everything and when it inevitably rains, you won’t have muddy toes.
      If you want something dressier for going to restaurants, Gabor and Rieker are brands that comes to mind.

  6. I’m going to my first Korean restaurant in Koreatown tonight with some friends. What should I order? I am so not familiar with the cuisine – have made bibimbap in a Hello Fresh box, and I get ‘korean salmon tacos’ at a local restaurant where I live, but the only Korean thing about it is the kimchi topping.
    Clearly neither of those are authentic experiences. I like new things, but usually like sticking with a crowd-pleaseer when I try them. For example, I have really started to love Thai food – and I always heard to try Pad Thai, and start from there. Now I’m trying all sorts of dishes that are a little more adventurous.
    Thanks for any advice and for bearing with me – we don’t have much beyond Italian, Chinese, Japanese where I live.

    3. Bulgogi (thin sliced marinated beef) or galbi/kalbi (marinated short ribs) for korean bbq, or bibimbap (especially if it comes in a hot stone pot)! A lot of korean dishes are spicy (but not the ones I listed) so just something to keep in mind.

      and the seafood pancake! We always end up ordering one for the table.

    4. Are you going to a Korean BBQ restaurant or a Korean restaurant? There’s a slight difference between the two, at a KBBQ place the meats are grilled directly on the table, while at a regular Korean restaurant the meats are grilled/cooked in the kitchen.

      Anyway, if it’s a regular Korean restaurants, the basics that non-Koreans often order are: bulgogi (marinated thinly sliced pork, beef, or chicken), galbi (marinated short ribs and super delicious), soondubu jigae (tofu soup with choice of meats; I promise this is more tasty than it sounds in English), kimchi pancake or seafood kimchi pancake, japchae (potato noodles with mixed vegetables), dolsot bibimbap (the sizzling stone pot version),

      Korean meals in restaurants are served with banchan aka complimentary small side dishes that are to be shared amongst the table. Usual banchan include various types of kimchi, anchovies, marinated vegetables, anchovies, eggs, etc. It varies amongst restaurants.

      1. Dolsot bibimbap is amazing. The rice gets all crispy where it touches the stone pot.

  7. bibimbap in a hot stone pot. The rice on the bottom gets nice and crunchy and the egg cooks when you mix everything together. It’s delicious.

  8. Eek, I was brave/stupid and just wrote to my very nice, but very micromanaging boss to set up a time to talk to her about her giving me a slightly longer leash. It was in response to her complaining about her heavy workload on her way out the door today, so I framed the email as a response to her comment, saying that I have some ideas about how we can work better as a team. Was this a terrible idea? Any advice for having this conversation? What can I do to save this? Help, please!

    1. That’s a great idea! At least, as a manager, I’d be appreciative of someone framing it that way… so I guess my advice is just to carry on in that same spirit.

  9. Is anyone still reading? I love the d’orsay look and the little gold strip on the black Cole Hans, but could really use a 1” heel, so they’d be more versatile. Has anyone seen shoes like that, for a reasonable price?

  10. I just bought a pair of wide legged cropped pants, almost identical to the MMLF zhou culotte. Is there a certain length that these type of pants are supposed to be? Mine are a little longer than the MMLF version appears on the model, and I wore them today and got nonstop compliments, but I’m wondering if mine are too long.

  11. I used to love Cole Haan years ago, but the lasts they are using these days are too narrow for me. My feet are happiest in a wide size, but about half the time regular width styles are fine. Has anyone seen something like this shoe style with a more generous width?

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