When it comes to shopping for shoes for work, there are many things that you need to consider. Even I, a shoe-fluent editor, have struggled to land on perfect pairs in the past. This is because we place a lot of demands on our work shoes. They need to be versatile and go with a plethora of looks. They also need to be comfortable—depending on your role, you may have to be on your feet a lot, which will be a significant factor in your choice also. Then there’s your commute—will your shoes hold up in changeable weather? And then we get to aesthetics. Are they polished enough? Granted, some workplaces and uniforms will be flexible with casual attire (that or you my even be provided with shoes to wear). However, if you’ve found yourself here on Who What Wear, I’m willing to bet that looking stylish is of equal concern to you, so I’m approaching this subject matter from that standpoint. Work-shoe shopping in a word? Challenging.
Throughout my career, I’ve found that the more trend-proof the shoe, the better it serves me for work. That’s not to say your work outfits have to be boring or lacking personality. Still, I believe that any look can be elevated with a classic shoe; something my colleagues wholly agree with. “For me, work isn’t a place where I try out new trends, it’s where I showcase my most honed looks which, yes, might feature a trend-led piece here or there but, ultimately, they’re centred timeless items—shoes included,” says affiliate editor, Emily Dawes.
Following this sentiment I thought, as we approach a new season, that it might be useful to outline the shoes for work that our editors wear most on their office days in the hope of inspiring your own footwear choices. Don’t fret—our days of wearing high heels Monday-to-Friday are behind us, though there is still a heel style we regularly turn out in. Many of the work shoes our editors favour are flats, which is especially great seeing as the biggest shoe trends this season happen to be flats themselves. Scroll on to see what our editors deem to be the best shoes for work.