Take off the flats!

Lia_lia

This thread is hilarious. I think I have worn heels about 3 times in my life. If I had to work somewhere where I couldn't wear flat shoes I don't know what I'd do.

I wear (flat) ankle boots or knee high boots in the office. Don't really own pumps. I wear converse at weekends if I have to work, because no one cares at weekends.

Meangadh

I'm actually laughing out loud at this thread. What's the alternative to ballet pumps if a woman doesn't want to wear heels then OP? There are very few nice flat shoes for women unless you wear pumps.

I do find heels dressier, but no bloody way am I standing around at work all day in heels.
Just wouldn't be able.

Is it just me or does anyone else imagine that the OP is pining for the days when women dressed like the secretaries in Mad Men and simply looked a certain way and did what they were told???

I'm off to bed and I'll be leaving out my very pretty black suede and pearl detailed comfortable pumps for the morning!

Sunny Dayz

Such an amusing thread! At one stage I had ballet pumps in about every colour under the sun! Great for wearing with jeans and skirts/dresses. I find I can get away with a slightly shorter skirt if I wear ballet pumps. I also find that my ballet pumps can make an outfit appear more casual.


However because I get the cheap ones from Penneys or Dunnes, they aren't comfortable for walking distances outside. I walked down the town one night (1.5km) and I could feel every little stone on the road, I might as well have been barefoot! I also could feel the strain in my calves and my arches (as well as now feeling old as I type this!). I also find, because I'm petite and short in the leg area, sometimes ballet pumps can make me look dumpy or stubby!


I do wear ballet pumps the odd time in work (accountancy). But it's in the summer time when dress codes are more relaxed in good weather and the shoes would be black, navy, tan or nude coloured.

rainbow kirby

I'm in IT. By virtue of wearing a dress, leggings and flat black boots today I'm one of the best dressed people in my department, put it that way. :pac:

Converse or ballet flats are standard for techie women outside of the financial sector here.

Magenta

rainbow kirby wrote: »

I'm in IT. By virtue of wearing a dress, leggings and flat black boots today I'm one of the best dressed people in my department, put it that way. :pac:

Converse or ballet flats are standard for techie women outside of the financial sector here.

Women are allowed use the office computers now? OP are you aware?

v638sg7k1a92bx

Magenta wrote: »

Women are allowed use the office computers now? OP are you aware?

Checking back in on this thread, how did it go from a discussion about flat shoes in the fashion and appearance forum to equal rights in the workplace?

meeeeh

Because some people like to be victims.

I don't agree that flats are not appropriate in business environment but this is not about the discrimination of women. I also don't agree that all flats look good with suits or are comfortable. The elasticated ballet flats are very often among the cheapest shoes for a reason. They have no form, paper thin sole and no support. They are not structured enough to be worn with suits.

v638sg7k1a92bx

meeeeh wrote: »

Because some people like to be victims.

I don't agree that flats are not appropriate in business environment but this is not about the discrimination of women. I also don't agree that all flats look good with suits or are comfortable. The elasticated ballet flats are very often among the cheapest shoes for a reason. They have no form, paper thin sole and no support. They are not structured enough to be worn with suits.

I see it reoccurring on online forums in general where someone makes an innocuous point that is not in line with the received message and there's an attempt to silence them by accusing them of being a mysoginist, bigot etc. People can wear ballet flats/pumps if they want, the same way people can wear a black belt with brown shoes or a stripped tie with a stripped shirt. All I'm saying is that

1. They're not suitable for weather conditions this time of year

2. They are a casual shoe that in my opinion are not suitable for traditional, formal office attire

Dolbert

You've been asked this already, but what's the alternative for women who can't/ don't want to wear heels?

v638sg7k1a92bx

Dolbert wrote: »

You've been asked this already, but what's the alternative for women who can't/ don't want to wear heels?

Is it my obligation to come up with alternatives to for the shoeless people of Dublin??? There are plenty of choices around.

Dolbert

Such as?

The_Morrigan

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish wrote: »

Is it my obligation to come up with alternatives to for the shoeless people of Dublin??? There are plenty of choices around.

Well it was you that started this discussion condemning all flats as inappropriate office attire...so what is appropriate if a woman does not want to wear heels?

v638sg7k1a92bx

Dolbert wrote: »

Such as?

Google it or hire a personal shopper.

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish wrote: »

Google it or hire a personal shopper.

I think the question is, what do you consider office appropriate shoes. Everyone's opinions are different, people are interested in yours, as you are the OP.

pwurple

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish wrote: »

Is it my obligation to come up with alternatives to for the shoeless people of Dublin??? There are plenty of choices around.

Phew, we should be ok in Cork so! The shoe police are only in Dublin.

v638sg7k1a92bx

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I think the question is, what do you consider office appropriate shoes. Everyone's opinions are different, people are interested in yours, as you are the OP.

Considering how this thread has been jimmied into gender equalities in the workplace, I think the interest in my "opinion" on office attire is just an excuse to try and get any type of opinion that can be seized upon.

AmyPL

The joys of IT. Proper work attire for me is jeans, hoody and (flat!) runners :eek: maybe patterned converse if I'm feeling fancy!

charlietheminxx

So you actually have no advice on what IS proper attire OP and are just ranting because you personally don't like flats?

Dolbert

OP, you said there were plenty of examples of nice, flat shoes out there. Surely in that case it'll be easy for you to post some

Guy:Incognito

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish wrote: »

So you wear summer shoes in the office all year around, I hope you don't need to go outside during the day, coffee, muffin etc? .

I don't mind the cold and wear t-shirts all year round. Am I doing life wrong?

SusieBlue

OP, I think you are forgetting that your opinion is not fact. You can't go around making blanket statements such as "heels are inn=appropriate and should only be worn in santas grotto" and not expect backlash.

However, this thread has been very amusing on this miserable Tuesday morning. :pac:

v638sg7k1a92bx

WhiteRoses wrote: »

OP, I think you are forgetting that your opinion is not fact. You can't go around making blanket statements such as "heels are inn=appropriate and should only be worn in santas grotto" and not expect backlash.

However, this thread has been very amusing on this miserable Tuesday morning. :pac:

I think you and others seem to forget that all opinions are not facts. My opinion doesn't sit comfortably with a lot of users probably because they like wearing ballet flats and don't like this being highlighted and their initial response is to be defensive. By your selective criteria, I could make the same statement and say how can you expect to walk around in ballet pumps in January and not expect a someone to pass an opinion.

Meangadh

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish wrote: »

My opinion doesn't sit comfortably with a lot of users probably because they like wearing ballet flats and don't like this being highlighted and their initial response is to be defensive.

Your opinion doesn't sit well with a lot of people (including me) because we don't see anything wrong with wearing ballet pumps. You clearly do, and that's fine, but I and many others feel you are being pass remarkable about this choice that we make. It's one thing to dislike them, but I think it's a bit much to suggest that they are inappropriate, as if we are offending someone in some way by wearing them, or that we are being unprofessional. What utter tosh.

And, as others have said, what shoes would you suggest those of us who dislike wearing heels to work wear? You have yet to provide suggestions. I would be interested in seeing some.

Dolbert

If you don't post examples of the kinds of shoes you'd prefer people to wear then how are we to learn? Or is someone having a wee troll of the Fashion forum for themselves?

pwurple

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish wrote: »

I think you and others seem to forget that all opinions are not facts. My opinion doesn't sit comfortably with a lot of users probably because they like wearing ballet flats and don't like this being highlighted and their initial response is to be defensive. By your selective criteria, I could make the same statement and say how can you expect to walk around in ballet pumps in January and not expect a someone to pass an opinion.

Eh, I'm not wearing ballet flats, I mainly wear boots this time of year. But I couldn't give a toss what other people wear as long as they can walk!

Heels on ice-coated footpaths is what I see on the city streets on a saturday night, and the girls are like bambi learning to skate. They'd be MUCH better off in flat shoes.

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish

Jacoby Nervous Rubbish wrote: »

I think you and others seem to forget that all opinions are not facts. My opinion doesn't sit comfortably with a lot of users probably because they like wearing ballet flats and don't like this being highlighted and their initial response is to be defensive. By your selective criteria, I could make the same statement and say how can you expect to walk around in ballet pumps in January and not expect a someone to pass an opinion.

Nope, I don't wear ballet pumps, but as far as flat shoes go, I'd be genuinely interested to see some that would be considered appropriate - by you.

Frigga_92

6 pages of this shíte.

People can and should wear whatever footwear they want. Get over it.

Pippy1976

Meangadh wrote: »

Your opinion doesn't sit well with a lot of people (including me) because we don't see anything wrong with wearing ballet pumps.

Your opinion doesn't sit well with the OP's because they don't like ballet pumps.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion. It is afterall THEIR opinion. Ballet pumps are inappropriate footwear for this time of year.

That is my opinion. And it's fine if you disagree with it. But you can't tell me that my opinion matters any less than yours.

Neyite

I dunno, depending on the outfit they can look quite chic - Like, if you swapped the cardigan for a blazer, lost the sunglasses and tied up the hair it'd be lovely and professional for most office standards.

meeeeh

I would go for loafers or brouges with that outfit. I can't say I am a fan of the shoes on the picture either. Feet look very wide in them. And the whole outfit looks very top heavy with a scarf, turtle neck or whatever they are called. It is nothing offensive or inappropriate, I just don't overly like it.