If you’re a shoe person, then you fully understand what I am about to say…each day at the office presents itself with a new opportunity to parade your fashionable feet.
When dressing for the office there are many ways to express yourself on the style front and shoes just happen to be my favorite way. Most days, I prefer to pick out the shoes I want to wear and then build an outfit accordingly. With today’s blog I am going to talk about appropriate shoes for the work day.
High Heels
The term “high heels” comes from the functionality of the shoe… it actually raises the heel of the foot higher than the toes. There are many forms of high heels, as this category is quite broad.
Heels look great with most work ensembles and can be partnered with pantyhose and tights. I love wearing hose, but typically only wear them once the weather cools down because as anyone who lives in Texas knows, our summers are way too hot for anything other than light work clothes.
Note: A great rule when deciding which color of pantyhose to wear is that you typically want to match or blend with either the color of the bottom portion on your skirt/dress or match the color of your shoes. However, with colorful hoses and dress fabrics these days, you can sometimes keep your hosiery fun, too!
Stilettos
Stilettos are actually a type of high heels. The height of a stiletto is anywhere from 3” to 6”. The majority of time they consist of a strong steel heel to hold the weight of the person. The look great partnered with a pencil skirt and dress pants. Sometimes, I have even worn them with nice jeans and a great shirt and jacket.
Pumps
Pumps are normally lower heeled shoes that only slightly raise your heel. You don’t typically experience much foot tilt and they can be a great way to dress up an outfit, without dealing with all the feet soreness heels tend to offer at the end of the day. I love a good pump with a strong, chunky heel. I often joke about how I can run in them, but believe me, this isn’t something I would ever try. I like my ankles in tack thank you very much!
Wedges
I almost neglected this shoe. I know, I know. Big mistake…HUGE! Wedges are fantastic for anyone who has a hard time wearing heels. The offer much stability and look adorable paired with dresses.
Mules
Mules are a type of lower-heeled shoe that are lacking a back and were extremely popular in the 18th Century. Some mules come without a heel and considered flats. Mules are great partnered with dresses, skirts, and pants.
Flats
A really great pair of flats can be perfect for the office, especially for anyone experiencing issues with their feet such as swelling or bunions. They work very well with a variety of outfits and they are super easy to slip on and off during the day.
Sandals
During summertime, sandals become one of my favorite go-to pieces of footwear. They are light, match a variety of outfits including light dresses and pants. However, if you’re going to wear sandals, please make sure your feet look good. Get a pedicure and make sure you don’t have chipped nail polish.
Boots
When fall strikes, it’s time to pull out the boots. Work appropriate boots are typically leather-made and can be anything from a cute ankle boot worn with pants or jeans to an over the knee boot work with a skirt. Pantyhose and tights are also optional for this look.
Loafers
Loafers is a term for both men’s and women’s shoes. They don’t typically have laces and can be easily slipped on and off. I am a huge fan of loafers on men, but I personally wouldn’t ever wear them with any outfit because I am such a high heel gal. Loafers look great with a pair of slacks. If you’re looking to supplement your wardrobe with loafers or “slip ons” as they are sometimes called in Europe, then I recommend having a brown pair and a black pair.
Men’s Dress Shoes
We can’t forget men’s shoe styles. In my opinion, a nice men’s dress shoe can really make a man’s outfit look phenomenal. Most dress shoes have slight laces to them, otherwise they really fall into the loafers category. As you can imagine, I love going shoe shopping with my husband. I have slightly more expensive taste than he does, which if you know my husband, this won’t come as a surprise. He wants to get in and out with the most comfortable shoe for the least amount of money.
Sneakers
Sneakers are not typically considered appropriate office attire unless you’re like us and have to set up client events and need a practical shoe that doesn’t hurt your feet while running around like a crazy person making sure every single detail is perfect.
Depending on their field, men can wear sneakers with their work clothes and make this look attractive, as long as they are neat, clean and somewhat colorful. You really don’t want to see a stark white pair of sneakers partnered with nice slacks. That’s fashion suicide.
However, one recent trend is to wear Van’s with dresses and this can be quite cute!
So my question to you is…what’s your favorite pair of shoes to wear to work?