Comfort or style? Who says we have to sacrifice one for the other when buying office-appropriate shoes?
Fall 2010, however, is one of those infrequent seasons that offers a better selection. Always looking to distinguish themselves from their competitors, some designers are declaring a return to normalcy and lower heel heights. Ms. Incognita is a little skeptical as to how long this will last. But for now kitten heels and other low heel options such as wedges are much more prevalent than usual. What are kitten heels? They are slender heels, often with a slight curve, but generally only between 1 and 2 inches high. They have the elegance of a high-heeled shoe but often the comfort level of a flat. The answer to an executive woman’s prayers!
To get you started on your search, here are some shoe designers and stores that have interesting designs and/or a wide selection of kitten and other low-heeled shoes. Ms. Incognita’s approach here is to provide some resources that may be new to you. You probably have your own tried-and-true resources, but if you’re looking for both style and comfort, you can expand your options by also branching out periodically.
Designers
- Butter: This line is a new find for Ms. Incognita. Its designers profess to be dedicated to timeless shoes with perfect fit that can be re-imagined every season. The line has very type of heel height, but those in the lower ranges have a nice slightly retro vibe, like something Audrey Hepburn might wear. Here’s an example in a beige-y mauve with black trim.
SheShe in Mauve by Butter $298
- Bettye Muller: Another designer who makes shoes with a slight retro feel, not surprising given that she collects vintage shoes. Her Tartan Rita design is the picture used on the main page to illustrate this article. Here’s an example of a wing-tip wedge that would pair well with many black outfits.
Novel in Black and Cream by Bettye Muller $298
- Lillybee: This designer understands the style/comfort dilemma completely, creating shoes that she says will take women “from the boardroom to the romper room”. She’s the owner of the shoe boutique Simply Soles in Washington, DC and her designs can only be purchased there or at the online store (see below). It can be difficult to find an interesting and versatile shoe in navy, but check out this low-heeled option.
Ina in Navy by Lillybee $148
Stores
- Talbots: What? Safe and boring Talbot?! It’s true—Talbots seems to be doing a better job this season of straddling those difficult lines between style and suitability and between cost and quality. Case in point is its shoe collection which has a very nice selection of kitten heels in croc and other stamped leathers. You can see them at your local Talbots or check them out at www.talbots.com. Here’s a croc-embossed version that also comes in variety of colors, including a lovely wine version.
Croc kitten-heel pump by Talbots $129
- Zappos.com and Endless.com: Both of these are online stores that offer incredible selection of shoes together with excellent service. Simply do a search on your desired heel height and color, and you’ll be amazed at the breadth of the selection. If you have yet to try out Zappo’s, you really should do so soon. It continues to be one of the highest rated online buying experiences for any product—reviews of shoes that enable you to determine fit and comfort; free, fast delivery and returns; and an impressive focus on customer satisfaction.
Ms. Incognita is not as familiar with Endless, but the site was created by Amazon and offers benefits similar to Zappo’s, including free, fast delivery and returns. Endless also carries several shoe lines (like Butter) that Zappo’s does not.
New to Internet shopping for clothes and shoes? If you’re as pressed for time as other executive women, it can be a real life-saver. See Ms. Incognita’s previous post Want To Score Some Fashion Steals? for tips on how to leverage this resource effectively.
- Simply Soles: For those readers in the DC area, check out this boutique with locations in Georgetown and Oxon Hill. The owner (a former CPA) has a great eye for interesting shoe designers, and designs her own line (Lillybee) as well. For those not in the DC area, Simply Soles sells online at www.simplysoles.com. As is true of the larger online stores, customers give Simply Soles high marks for convenience and reliability.
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Your Comment… I have always looked for flat heeled shoes since my ankles are very loose
and I can easily go over on my ankle and fall. In addition, I wear a size 5 (just to make it
even harder) andI have an enormous wardrobe of shoes. It just makes it a little more dif-
ficult to find pretty shoes, that’s all. But it can be done. I shop by mail and at Saks, Bergdorf,
\etc.
I like your spirit! It can be so easy to get stuck in a rut when you have feet and ankle problems, and the result can be dowdy styles or overworn favorites. Ms Incognita has been guilty of that herself. As you point out, however, there’s no reason you can’t have a good wardrobe of both attractive AND comfortable professional shoes. All it takes is just a little effort and resources like Zappo’s and higher end stores. And it’s even easier to find those designs this fall.
Dear Ms Incognito,
You should include the AGL line available at Nordstrom. Leombruni makes the most comfortable and stylish shoes I have ever worn for work. I enjoy them so much that I wear them while traveling too. I just picked up their leopard ballerina flats and they are to die for! I agree that Talbots are reasonably priced, but they took me forever to break in 2 pairs last year. I won’t go through that again.
I really enjoy your column.
Kimberly is right–Ms. Incognita bought a pair of those leopard ballerina flats at Nordstrom and loves them! Feels like she’s channelling Audrey Hepburn…….
And Ms Incognita’s sister just reminded her of another great feature of Nordstrom. If your feet are each a different size, they will sell you a pair sized accordingly. Not every location has this policy, but quite a few do. Might also be worth checking out whether this policy applies to internet purchases as well.