Friday 5: Fun and Professional Shoes for Women Lawyers

Earlier this week, we shared a blog post by Lawyerist, “The One Shoe Every Lawyer Ought to Own,” on our Facebook pages and Twitter feed. The problem, as some of our female fans pointed out, was that the Lawyerist post was about men’s shoes only — 50% of the shoe-loving-lawyer population was left out!

We couldn’t let that stand. Here are our seven (we got a little carried away) picks for professional women’s shoes.

Love them? Hate them? Want to add a pair? Tell us in the comments!

Julia’s Picks

Keen Sienna in Black. Image from Zappos.

I’m pretty sure every woman who has told me about a “super-comfortable 3-inch heel” is lying. So I stick to flats. Generally, I push the casual end of business-casual with my beloved run-to-the-bus-friendly Keen Sienna Mary Janes.

Born Forsythia in Tiramisu Metallic. Image from Zappos.

When you need something more professional but you don’t want to sprain an ankle, my vote is for these Born Forsythia flats (these are similar to my go-to pair, but cuter!). The black is professional and understated enough for important in-office meetings, though maybe not for court. The yellow and “Tiramisu Metallic” options have me eyeing my credit card and thinking of ways to rationalize the purchase, too.

Stephanie’s Picks

Julia may not believe me, but I think you can find a nice-looking mid-heel that’s comfortable enough to wear around the office for a full work day (if not run for a bus). My picks are a neutral pump that works with anything, and a bold heel that can go from the office to after-work drinks or a date.

Anne Klein Isana in Camel Patent. Image from Zappos.

These classic nude Anne Klein mid-heels are a great choice for summer. The 2.5-inch heel is low enough to be comfortable for walking, and the neutral shade goes with all your colorful or bright-white summer pieces. Also good for summer weddings! Even better, nude heels create the illusion of longer, slimmer legs, so pick a color that’s close to your natural skin tone.

MICHAEL Michael Kors MK-Flex Mid Pump in Red. Image from Zappos.

Looking professional doesn’t mean sticking to boring black and grey year-round. Add a splash of bold, confident color with these cherry-red MICHAEL Michael Kors pumps (all right, they’re available in nude and basic black, too). Red is a new neutral that complements most of the suits you probably own: black, grey, navy, or tan. Red heels also look great with skinny jeans and a cute top, or a summer dress. I have at least four pairs of red shoes and I love them all.

Marya’s Picks

Sofft Abbot Pump in black. Image from Nordstrom.

Cole Haan Chelsea Low Wedge Pump in Nude. Image from Nordstrom.

My vote is with Stephanie on this one, solely (pun intended) because of a little thing called the wedge heel. Every working woman needs a good wedge heel; a wedge heel is not only super-comfortable, but also really cute. I suggest a black or nude-colored wedge heel. Some examples of a good wedge heel are Söfft “Abbott” Pump and the Cole Haan “Chelsea” Low Wedge Pump.

Halogen Bianca Wedge in Black. Image from Nordstrom.

Another definite must for women’s work shoes is a kitten-heeled wedge — basically a flat, but with the hint of wedge. I personally own the Halogen “Bianca” Wedge and adore them.