Day heels are a big blind spot for me. I mean sure I’ve got ’em, I’ve been bouncing around all day in a pair of 4 1/2″ DVF peep toes that I can wear for 8 hours without a pinch and I wish I’d bought them in every color, but when it comes time to drop bank on shoes, I’ll usually pass by the day shoes because they’re not special enough to justify that sort of money. Don’t let this happen to you. Splurging on top-quality day shoes is an excellent investment as your cost-per-wear is lower and as we all know, an expensive shoe can make a bargain basement outfit look posh, but a cheap heel will ruin your head-to-toe Dior.
I like to err on the side of basic when it comes to a day heel, particularly if I’m wearing it to the office, because it’s more about polish than fashion. I’ve found if you go too capital F Fashion at most offices you run the risk of the Fabulous overshadowing the Competent.
On to the shoes!
The first offering that’s About The Look and not about the shoe is the Stuart Weitzman “Bonjour” in a lovely slightly gilded taupe leather with a 3″ heel and half inch platform. I’m not usually a bow girl. Even most of my Valentinos –and Valentino is known for them– are sans bows, but the bow here makes the shoe special, and provides visual interest without being too twee. Also, when you’re dealing with this sort of leather, a scuff here or there actually adds character to the leather, so you can abuse them a bit more than a pair of delicate kid kicks.
One good Stewie deserves another, and I am All About these Stuart Weitzman “Mocup” heels (on BIG sale). Listen, I don’t know how Stewie does it, but he makes THE most wearable high heels I’ve ever worn, and honestly at this point, I’m pretty sure I’ve worn every major designer so I’m not just whistling Dixie. Once upon a time I had a pair of Stewies with what must have been a 5 1/2″ heel and I swear I could traipse up mountains in them. There’s something about the way they balance the heel. It’s amazing.
These have a 4″ heel and a 1″ platform with ample padding. They’re available in black patent, a deep olive suede,and a tobacco leather, all worth having.
Okay, that’s enough of the spendy shoes, let’s go to something a bit more cheap and cheerful.
I gotta say, just from looks alone, these are great shoes. Gabrielle Rocha “Athens” comes in like a million colors and treatments and I’ve linked to the camel, but I can’t resist the cobalt suede. These remind me very much of my beloved Pedro Garcia mary janes because they’re work appropriate but a bit sexy, and your legs? Will look AMAZING.
It’s a 3 1/2″ heel with a half inch (I’m guessing) hidden platform. I can’t see whether the strap has hidden elastic on the buckle but it looks like there’s plenty of room to punch another hole if needed.
In a continuing theme of looking like a much more expensive shoe, the Gabrielle Rocha “Dancy” very clearly references the now-legendary Miu Miu 2007 double strap mary jane. The heel is slightly higher than the Athens, and there’s no hidden platform, but it’s also sturdier. It’s also available in several colors and treatments, some of which are more successful than others.
Finally for those who prefer their heels around 2″ we have the Cole Haan “Talia”.
Listen, I’m not going to pretend this is the most interesting shoe I’ve ever seen. It’s not. But they ARE notoriously comfortable without looking like a “comfort shoe.” I would have no problem deploying these on a day when I’m wearing trousers and want just a little lift.
The Athena is on sale at 6pm.com for about half the price at zappos (then again, the have about half the colors as zappos)!
Comment by shoemaven3 — January 20, 2011 @ 4:04 pm
“I’ve found if you go too capital F Fashion at most offices you run the risk of the Fabulous overshadowing the Competent.”
So, so true. I work in a fairly casual (our dress code is basically “don’t look like a hooker or a hobo”) office that’s part of a medical research institution. We all know that fashionista does not equal airhead, but there’s definitely a point at which aggressively trendy tends to correlate with distracted and unreliable, especially for younger female staff…
Comment by Emily — January 20, 2011 @ 5:01 pm
May I also suggest – for a lower priced option – Evans.co.uk. I got quite a few pairs of lovely shoes from there that looked really high end (like my emerald green patent leather platform peep toe heels).
Also, the best shoes I had for work were tan leather 2 inch Clarks.
I not only have fat feet but also extremely high arches which makes it even harder for me to find shoes. My feet aren’t even that wide but the high arches mean I need wide shoes anyway to be able to force my foot in. Anyway, I’ve had great luck with both Evans and Clarks. Every once in a while you can even find something good at Avenue or Lane Bryant, as long as you stay away from the fake leather.
Comment by Ali — January 20, 2011 @ 5:08 pm
I am just the opposite–I put my $$ into day shoes because I’ve accepted that I just don’t go out much at night anymore.
Comment by Astra — January 20, 2011 @ 8:21 pm
Try http://www.zierashoes.com/ Wide fittings and comfortable. Used to be called Kumfs but have rebranded since they started making heels and trendier shoes.
Comment by Bronwyn — January 20, 2011 @ 10:59 pm
Ditto 6pm.com…they carry alot of these brands at great prices (though more limited selection). I just replaced my boots (Naturlizer in a style not made any more) with a similar pair of Clarks for crazy cheap. Threw in a pair of gray suede pumps for nothing!
Comment by GoddessofPurple — January 21, 2011 @ 9:26 am
I got my first and only pair of Manolos, the Carolyn, and the balance was off. Never experienced that with any other heels.
Comment by annie — January 21, 2011 @ 2:41 pm
Mocups for me! Love the classic styling — updated with the built-in platform. Suh-weet!
Comment by Jennifer — January 30, 2011 @ 10:40 pm