Office shoes for women: what survives 250 days a year

An occasion shoe is worn ten times a year. An office shoe is worn two hundred and fifty. The second is far harder to get right — and far more important.

The heel: 4–7 cm, block

This is the range a foot tolerates for eight hours without tiring. Below 4 cm, weight falls too much on the heel; above 7, the calf muscle works continuously. Block, not thin — see Bordeaux.

Leather that does not betray you

For daily wear, choose a fine natural grain. It hides scratches from desk legs, car sills and stairs. Smooth glossy leather shows every mark and demands weekly polishing.

Suede is superb, but for daily office wear it is a brave choice: one unannounced shower and you need the brush.

The insole

Hours six, seven and eight are decided here. Made to order, the insole is moulded to your footprint — you do not feel the shoe at day's end because weight is spread, not concentrated.

The d'Orsay cut

The side cut-out (leaving the arch visible) does two things: it lengthens the leg visually and lets the shoe breathe. That is why d'Orsay models wear well in summer too.

Colours that go with everything

Burgundy and navy are more versatile than black and far less ordinary. Nude in your skin tone lengthens the leg most, but demands upkeep.

Two pairs, not one

The rule that changes everything: two pairs worn alternately last three times longer together than one worn daily. Leather needs 24 hours to dry.

Write to us with what you wear now and what bothers you — that is where we start.