The black work pump is an essential of office attire: it goes with everything, can be worn daily and will stand up to punishment with a bold defiance.
If you’re looking to get a great work pump but would like a budget alternative to the more designer option please read on.
The best comfortable budget work pump in our recommendation is Nine West’s FIFTH9X9 (affiliate link). You can click the link to go directly to this shoe, or stick around as I explain why this budget heel is a great daily pump.
The first thing to know about the FIFTH is that is has next-level comfort. The pump has a 100% leather upper and sole, and now incorporates technological advances for great cushioning and flexibility.
Nine West has always been known for soft cushioned heels, but the FIFTH is actually an updated version of Nine West’s famous Flax pump. And it has all the comfort plus more of the shoe it has evolved from.
From a budget perspective, you need to know that Nine West heels don’t tend to last forever. They are soft (and therefore super comfy) and the leather is genuine BUT you need to be realistic: heels at this price point are not collector’s items.
Yet the FIFTH9x9 (apart from being a silly name for a shoe) has absolutely everything you want in a daily heel. The leather and comfort I have already mentioned. It also comes with a manageable 3.75 inch heel height.
For me a comfortable work heel is no more than four inches high with no platform (platforms are fine, but not for every day). Some padding on the insole is also highly regarded. A leather upper is essential. So this heel ticks all the boxes.
As for being kinda cheap, that’s fine with me!
Truth is, over the years I’ve wrecked far too many pairs of black work pumps to count – bashing heels on every conceivable corner and scratching the leather on hidden office hazards that they never tell you about in induction.
It’s not that I don’t love them of course. I love them to death – for their practicality, their comfort and their magic ability to keep my ankles from twisting when running for the bus.
And that’s the problem with black high heels – they’re for work, not play. They live a hard and happy life but it is a short one compared to their glamorous designer cousins. Office heels live under the desk, not in an embroidered designer dust bag.
As another pair comes to the end of their natural lifespan, let’s recap on the budget work pump purchasing decision.
First, I’m totally sure that comfort is top of my list of desired features for the next ones.
If my black work pumps aren’t comfortable then I might as well be trekking around the office in gravity-defying Alexander McQueen party heels, or 6-inch Louboutins. And when Loubie called them “pleasure with pain” he sure wasn’t kidding.
Usually I opt for a pointy style – not enough to squeeze the foot, but not too little that they look like grandma shoes either. A hint of toe-cleavage is ideal, but more than a hint says “nightclub” not office.” We’re going for the smart, in control and feminine look, not desperate and dateless.
Finally, the ideal black work pump must be reasonably priced. I wear designer heels to the office too, but not every day. If I had that much money I wouldn’t be at work!
So there you have it – the perfect pair of black work pumps are comfortable, pointy and reasonably priced. Add feminine, practical, hard-working and versatile to that list and it would be rude to ask for anything more.
For all those reasons, and plenty more, I’m happy to recommend Nine West’s FIFTH9x9 3.75 inch heels as the best budget work pump out there. Please click on the affiliate link to see current prices.