Suggestions for women's work shoes?

[als1982]

Similar to @SusanneR's recent post asking about work pants, I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation for comfortable women's dress shoes. 

I currently wear Cole Haan mid-height wedges in either tan or black patent, which I've had for years and those two pairs go. with. everything.  However, for comfort and to keep my feet warmer in the winter and less sweaty in the summer, I'd love to find shoes that I can wear with socks.  Any suggestions for someone in their mid-30s  whose uniform is classic black slacks and the same J. Crew sweater all year round?  Flats are out unless they feel solid (I don't like feeling like I'm wearing slippers to work) and I've yet to find a pair of oxfords that aren't too hipster.  Please tell me I'm not resigned to clogs?!

[SomedayStache]

Following

[Mariposa]

I wear ankle boots summer and winter. My current pair is from Easy Spirit--very comfortable, but starting to fall apart after 2.5 years of almost daily wear. I've had to replace the heels a couple of times.

My next pair will be these:
http://www.zappos.com/p/dr-martens-flora-chelsea-boot/product/8004413

A bit hipsterish with a skirt or skinnies maybe, but with black slacks, they just look like dress shoes.

I have a pair of Frye boots, which were gorgeous when I first got them, but they haven't held up well enough over the years to justify the cost. The pair I have (Paige riding boot) aren't terribly comfortable, either. I also wear medical clogs & love the comfort;)

[NoStacheOhio]

I converted my wife to Clark's, and she's a huge fan now. They look professional, they're comfortable, and most importantly they last.

They have sales pretty regularly, and coupons if you join the mailing list.

[honeybbq]

Naturalizer or Born loafers? Or Merell has some decent loafers as well.

[Kiwi Fuzz]

https://zierashoes.com/us

I have had 4 pairs for 8-9 years and I don't expect to ever need to buy work shoes again. One pair that I wear the most the sole just split so I have to get it repaired but all the others are holding up well and they are designed to be supportive of feet/arches/back. I've had back issues since my teens. I have 2 pairs of high heels and 2 pairs of flats. I mostly wear the flats.

[MsPeacock]

Another +1 on Clark's. They are very well made, comfortable, and generally have cute styles. I am currently lusting after this pair in brown....

[renata ricotta]

Similar to @SusanneR's recent post asking about work pants, I'm wondering if anyone has a recommendation for comfortable women's dress shoes. 

I currently wear Cole Haan mid-height wedges in either tan or black patent, which I've had for years and those two pairs go. with. everything.  However, for comfort and to keep my feet warmer in the winter and less sweaty in the summer, I'd love to find shoes that I can wear with socks.  Any suggestions for someone in their mid-30s  whose uniform is classic black slacks and the same J. Crew sweater all year round?  Flats are out unless they feel solid (I don't like feeling like I'm wearing slippers to work) and I've yet to find a pair of oxfords that aren't too hipster.  Please tell me I'm not resigned to clogs?!

Ha, I also wear nude and black cole haan wedges every day of my life at work. For "sweaty in the summer," I recommend wearing no-show liner socks, if you want to still get wear out of your wedges. http://www.zappos.com/p/hue-microfiber-liner-4-pair-pack-black-cream-assorted/product/8132899/color/409545?ef_id=WEFxdAAABC5MJNv8:20170203170105:s .  I wear tights with my black pair in the winter, in varying weights.

Have you considered ankle booties? I think they are increasingly turning into a style that goes with everything - I would wear them both with work pants and skirts/dresses, and even the flats tend to have a solid heel.  I've been keeping an eye on cole haan's abbott bootie.*

Incidentally, I have recently found a much cheaper way to wear cole haans - poshmark. I found two pairs of nike air wedges on there the other day for $32/each plus $6 of shipping.  No wear marks on either of them.  Apparently there are lots of people in this world who appear to buy expensive clothes, shoes, and handbags, fail to return them, and then sell them new with tags for a fraction of the price. (I suppose they could also be employees abusing their discounts or other nefarious situations, but what I don't know doesn't hurt me). 

[SweetTPi]

I wear black slip-ons from 'I Love Comfort' for most of my dressy pant needs.  I think they're a Sear's brand, and there are a bunch of different styles.  Don't know how they'd feel to others, but I'm on my 4th pair of these.  The only reason I haven't gone through more pairs is that these days I wear steel toes at work.

[schmerna]

I am guilty of wearing dreaded clogs with skirts and tights in the winter.

https://www.amazon.com/Dansko-Womens-Professional-Tooled-Leather/dp/B003UY3PPU/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1486143828&sr=8-8&keywords=dansko+tooled+clogs

I wore this "boot" last summer with no show liner socks.  It looks nice with pants and skirts.  Fidji has a lot of interesting shoes.

https://www.amazon.com/Fidji-V510-Womens-Boot/dp/B016HEWWIA/ref=pd_sim_309_6?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=YAWK5ZF6ESZA9XT4FV2Q

I also like Miz Mooz

https://www.amazon.com/Miz-Mooz-Womens-Fortune-Dress/dp/B01F6B2RX0/ref=sr_1_5?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1486144301&sr=1-5&nodeID=679416011&keywords=shoes+women&refinements=p_89%3AMiz+Mooz


For heels,

Fly London has some cute heels that last.

https://www.amazon.com/FLY-London-Womens-Yugo684fly-Bootie/dp/B01CTVOGQ6/ref=sr_1_10?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1486144138&sr=1-10&nodeID=679337011&keywords=fly+london+shoes+women

And

http://fluchos.com/en/ These are hard to find in the US.

[schmerna]

https://zierashoes.com/us

I have had 4 pairs for 8-9 years and I don't expect to ever need to buy work shoes again. One pair that I wear the most the sole just split so I have to get it repaired but all the others are holding up well and they are designed to be supportive of feet/arches/back. I've had back issues since my teens. I have 2 pairs of high heels and 2 pairs of flats. I mostly wear the flats.

They have some very cute styles!

[Grosgrain]

My winter go-to shoe for work is a smooth black leather flat boot with a ankle-height shaft.  Keeps my feet warm and dry, and they look professional with pants.  I just make sure any details (buckles, etc.) are high enough on the boot that pants will cover them.

This is my current pair:  http://www.bornshoes.com/Product.aspx?ProductID=12232  I paid a lot less, though, by hunting around online.

[Fish Sweet]

Born is my go-to brand for solid, long-wearing, professional looking flats.  If you buy them at Nordstrom Rack, they're usually anywhere from 25-50% off retail price, and mine have lasted me anywhere from 3-6 years and on (I'm still wearing most of mine, and they look great.)

I know they sell heeled shoes as well, but since I very rarely wear heels, I can't attest to their comfort or longevity.

[Fomerly known as something]

My go to shoe is the mid-calf boot.  I'm currently wearing a Mephisto pair I've had a couple of years and need to get resoled.  They were spendy $300 at purchase but I wear them basically daily so I'm ok with them.  I love being able to wear white athletic socks with them.   

[Lanthiriel]

Naturalizer or Born loafers? Or Merell has some decent loafers as well.

I'm wearing a pair of black Merrell ankle boots right now, and I can't tell you how much I love them. I probably wear then 4 day/week at work. I love ankle boots because I can wear them with slacks or leggings with a skirt/dress, and they look fine. I have a brown suede off brand pair for days when black won't work, but I don't love them anywhere as much as my Merrells.

I also found that Clarks weren't as good of quality for the money as I was hoping. In the summer I have a brown pair of Cobb Hill flats and a black pair of Born flats. I find that buying these higher quality brands at clearance prices either at Zappos or a specialty shoe store is my best bet for the price/quality nexus. These and my Merrells all fell within the $90-$120 range.

[SJS]

I'm loving a new pair of Dansko slip-ons that I purchased from Zappos.  They are a brushed leather with trim. So comfortable, I just love them! I wear them with jeans, dress pants, etc.  I purchased the navy blue, but I think they come in other colors.  Ordering from Zappos is easy - free shipping & returns - so you've got nothing to loose if they don't work for you!  Another brand I really like is Merrell.  Mephisto are really good - but way too expensive, IMO.  Born is great, too. 

[als1982]

Thanks everyone!  These are great suggestions!!  TBH, I'm on the cusp of uncoolness and have been uncertain whether ankle boots with dress pants were fashionable, or if the rule was to only wear them with skinnies.  Seems like consensus is that it's fine, so I'm definitely going to check out the kicks in these links.  Thank you again!!

[tavore]

Aerosoles. I love them as they're among the closest to zero drop decent dress shoes that I could find.

https://www.amazon.com/Aerosoles-Womens-Willingly-Brown-Leather/dp/B01KI8U558/ref=sr_1_24?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1486234790&sr=1-24&nodeID=679380011&keywords=aerosoles%2Bwomens%2Bshoes&th=1

I bought 2 pairs of these recently and absolutely love them. They fit comfortably, easy to walk in and look great.

[MrsTuxedocat]

I love my Clark's ankle boots for work wear. They are expensive but Clark's has sales that make it worthwhile. Great quality to boot!

[Pigeon]

I like Clarks but they have declined in quality over the last few years and don't hold up that well. I have difficult to fit feet and they are comfortable. I also like Walking Cradles. I wear your basic black shoe with a bit of a molded heel in the winter and sandals in summer.

[MoneyMage]

I like cheap Mossimo ankle boots from Target. They are comfortable because of the chunky low heel and are well-made considering how inexpensive they are. Avoid anything with a small heel or it will be hell on your ankles. I have both their brown combat boots and more dressy/trendy ankle boots that look great with leggings.

For flats I like ECCO brand (shiny red patent leather goes with everything, nice pop of color), and TOMS for casual slip-ons.

I've tried Clarks because my mom likes them but they really just don't fit my feet right, if I can even find my size on sale (11).

[westtoeast]

I converted my wife to Clark's, and she's a huge fan now. They look professional, they're comfortable, and most importantly they last.

They have sales pretty regularly, and coupons if you join the mailing list.

+1 for Clarks. I get mine at 6pm.com, it's a discount site and the Clarks are often steeply discounted.

[FireHiker]

I just discovered Clarks last year, and have the most fabulous, plain, comfortable, black slip on shoes from there, which I wear most days. When I don't wear those I've been wearing a pair of black Teva ankle boots (I think they were da vina or something like that). I bought them for a November trip to the UK when I wanted comfortable, waterproof shoes. I may love them even more than the Clarks. Even better, they were the previous year's model on close-out, so I got them for $49 instead of the $120 retail.

I am intrigued by the Ecco shiny red patent leather that MoneyMage mentioned, but I'm committed to not buying clothes or shoes this year. :( (or :) depending).

[partgypsy]

I was also going to 2nd or 3rd Clarks as well. Also had success with Easy spirit and Aerosoles. I now drive most the time, but I used to walk to and from work so I needed shoes that looked good in the office AND comfortable walking.

[Fomerly known as something]

I just got back 2 pairs of boots from the repair guy.  So I have one pair of Cole Hann and a pair of La Canadienne's that are as good as new for $40.  I need to get my Mephisotos over to George to get them rehealed as well.

[tthree]

Yes, these http://arcopedicoshoes.com/store/vegan/4281-L19-Black are expensive, but I am at on my feet most of the day, and they feel like slippers:)

[galliver]

I got a pair of Merrell Shiloh Lace in the fall and wore them to a rainy day interview (at an engineering firm); they are comfy and warm but also look pretty classy, would definitely wear to any but the most formal office/work setting. (I didn't get the job, but I doubt it was the shoes :P)

http://www.merrell.com/US/en/shiloh-lace/21607W.html The price has dropped on Amazon since I got them from $150 to $120.

I got some knee-high Clarks boots when I lived in IL; I liked them a lot, but after 2 years (winters) of pretty heavy wear they stretched out, one of the quicklace grommets broke, and the heels needed fixed (I got them fixed but the repair was bad...not sure if the cobbler was bad or the repair was weird). So...they aren't infallible.

[Pigeon]

I've had a couple of pairs of Clarks fall apart after a few months.