Solution - wear strappy heels.
Oh, did I also mention that I work in a city with the worst paved streets ever? Cracked cement sidewalk one block, then brick, then uneven pebbled stone (don't even get me started on the Fanueil Hall area). As much as I crave Jimmy Choos and Blahniks and those super coveted Louboutins, I know that it's just not practical for me to spend that much money on day-to-day shoes (maybe for special events : ) ). It breaks my heart to see even my Nine West heels broken and scuffed up, so I can only imagine how I'd feel if I damaged premier shoes.
Solution - wear affordable strappy heels that hopefully don't look as cheap as they cost.
Enter, Target. I'm definitely not proud to say that I wear shoes from Target. But as someone who just dropped several days' salary on a jacket (post to come soon), I have to cut back somewhere! So here are some affordable picks from my fave big box discount retailer:
1.Merona Reta Platform Pumps, $32.99, in gray suede with faux-patent leather trim.
These are hot, but an obvious risk is the "faux" patent. I wanted to see them in person, but these are online-only. Good news is, the Reta platform pump has received nothing but stellar reviews on Target.com. They have a solid 5 stars from 20+ reviewers. Better news is, it comes in a spectrum of winter-friendly colors - gray, ruby, black, and teal (but why did they do that icky gold lining?):
Click "Read More" for more picks.
2. Merona Suede Marylynn Mary Jane Pumps, $26.99. Ok, ok, before anyone makes a "yuck" face...I overlooked these while browsing online because they are so ... "mom" shoes. But in person at the store, they didn't look so bad at all. These have a thicker heel (not so sexy, but much more stable) making them solid enough to weather the worst sidewalk conditions. Again, it has the suede and patent combo which I'm liking this season:
These are the type of shoes that no one would probably ever compliment you on, but boy are they practical. I wore these all week and pretty much forgot I was wearing heels. No slippage, no pain, but still 3 inches of added height. The color blends right into black tights, but the suede and patent textures stand out to give it a lil' something. A 5.5 fit fine, but I sized up to a 6 in these because I wanted room for insoles (haven't found any full insoles that fit well yet, though, any rec's?):
3. Mossimo Valonia Pump, $29.99. These have no strap, but they're fun so I'll include them anyways. The heel is skyyy high at 4.25 inches! Target used to only make mom shoes, but look at them now:
Not too pointy, not too round. I love the almond-shaped toe, especially in this Navy color:
3. Mossimo Valonia Pump, $29.99. These have no strap, but they're fun so I'll include them anyways. The heel is skyyy high at 4.25 inches! Target used to only make mom shoes, but look at them now:
Now since this is "Mossimo" the sizing is a little different. I usually need smaller in Mossimo than Merona. I tried these on in store (a 5.5 fit ok) but I wanted to go home and order them online to save a few bucks...I can be so thrifty sometimes it scares me! Target has a $5 off $50 coupon on retailmenot that you just have to click to claim. My Chase credit card also gives like 6% cashback on Target.com. As for shipping, I think shipping is always free with orders over $50, and you can return anything in-store. So for about $50 you can get 2 pairs of heels for work...not bad, eh?
PS - BR, Gap, Old Navy 30% off "Give and Get" starts today through Sunday (send me an email if you don't have the printable coupon and would like it). But in-store only. That means no tiny petite sizes ... grr!
PS - BR, Gap, Old Navy 30% off "Give and Get" starts today through Sunday (send me an email if you don't have the printable coupon and would like it). But in-store only. That means no tiny petite sizes ... grr!
