As anyone who has ever shopped for high heel shoes for the office knows, there are so many amazing heels on offer in the highly competitive work pump category.
But this can make narrowing down your choice of heels very hard.
Sure you can look at lists of recommended work pumps if you just want to get a steer from someone in the know.
However many women prefer to make this difficult choice themselves – and who can blame them?
Choosing heels for work is an important decision – after all, you are going to be the one wearing your new shoes for hours and days at a time.
It seems only fair that you should take your time and choose very carefully.
What to look for in the perfect pair of work pumps
It’s a demanding brief to find the perfect pumps.
At least we all know that the best work heels will all have the following features:
- comfortable
- durable
- good quality
- reasonably priced
- versatile
- professional but not boring
Even so, practically every designer has multiple black corporate work pump in their collection.
Many of these shoes will seem to fit the brief at first glance.
The challenge becomes even more difficult if you are shopping for work pumps online without being able to try them on.
After a while they all start to look and sound very similar!
I have found that the best way to start narrowing your search from literally hundreds of look-alike pumps is by carefully working through the checklist above with each potential pump.
Here are some notes to help you choose your perfect shoes for the office.
Comfort is personal and not negotiable
Nearly all heels promise to be the most comfortable work pump on the planet! But they cannot all be.
It’s no secret that the number one thing that women look for in work pumps is comfort.
Work heels are worn all day, every day so being pain-free is essential.
One problem is that everyone’s definition of comfort is a little different. While many women will swear that a particular pump is comfortable there will always be someone who disagrees.
My tip is that should should still look at online wearer reviews and be guided by the thoughts of others when it comes to comfort.
While it is true that pumps which are comfortable for some women are uncomfortable for others, generally the really comfortable (and really uncomfortable) heels almost always shine through from reviewers’ comments.
If in doubt, go with the crowd.
Work pumps need to be durable
Office heels are hard-working shoes.
They’re going to bang into things from time to time and get kicked and scuffed.
It might be sad to say, but most office heels eventually end up getting pretty trashed.
When looking for office pumps, I recommend checking reviews to see that the heels are reasonably durable.
Obviously you don’t want something that is too hard on your feet, but a shoe that falls apart on the third wear is not much use as a go-to office heel.
Once again, some skepticism is helpful here. One bad review does not mean a shoe really is not going to cut it.
But if everyone is saying that the shoes fall apart, believe them!
Quality is important
When buying work high heels, carefully consider the quality of the workmanship and the materials used.
Many women swear by leather heels as these allow the feet to breathe, but there is good leather and not-so-good leather.
Try to go with a manufacturer or designer which has a good reputation for producing quality footwear, not some fly-by-night label that is here-today, gone-tomorrow.
You can get some idea of quality by looking at images if the shoes are on a reputable “top end” retailer’s website.
This can be much more difficult if you are trying to buy cheap heels from a budget importer site or a direct-to-consumer retailer.
If you are doing this then you need to be prepared for the possibility that what actually turns up will look nothing like what you ordered.
Which brings us to…
Price point is the sweet spot
I love wearing designer shoes to the office – Louboutins one day, Choos the next – but I only do this in my dreams.
Truthfully, although designer shoes are great for the office sometimes, most women don’t wear them every day.
For one thing, unless you’re Kim Kardashian or Paris Hilton it’s hard to find the money. And work pumps can get pretty trashed pretty quick.
Instead of $800+ heels, I recommend looking in the $100- $200 range.
This will ensure that you avoid the cheap and nasty bottom-of-the-market heels, and will give you the best value for money.
It will also mean that you can afford to replace your work pumps often and before they fall apart.
Versatility is a key consideration
You might have a lot of office outfits, but chances are that you don’t have so many work pumps.
Even if you do, your pumps need to go with whatever outfit you pull together when half asleep in the morning.
That’s a good reason to consider a shoe that is versatile and gives you outfit options. Perhaps this is one reason why so many work pumps are black.
Finally, don’t forget the fun
Work pumps sure don’t need to be boring.
Yes, it is essential to have at least one pair of reasonably plain black work pumps, but even they can – and should – not be bland, bland, bland.
Fun and fantastic work pumps make the word a better place.
Simple features such as a colored heel or d’Orsay cut-out can make even the most staple shoe stand out.
Good luck with your hunt for the perfect high heels for the office.