Non-Pump, Non-Pointy, Non-Boot, Non-Sneaker Shoe
Manolo says, sometimes the Manolo gets the most detailed questions from his internet friends.
Hello Manolo!
I am 28 years old, and I work at a university in an office where the dress is casual. When I say “casual”, I mean that even my boss and the department chair wear jeans regularly. I love pairing fashionable jackets, shawls, and sweaters with nice jeans or khaki or dress pants, but I’m at a loss for variety in the shoe styles that can be worn. I have a pair of brown croc(not the hated crocs, but faux crocodile)-patterned pointy pumps that I like to wear, and some black ballet flats, and a pair of black loafer-style shoes (that are not ugly!), but I’m on a burnout cycle with these pairs. I have boots in black and tan, but what I want is a non-pump, non-pointy, non-boot shoe that is not a sneaker to wear with jeans and sweaters or jeans and jackets. Very picky description, I know. I’ve been out shoe shopping several times and have seen nothing that fits my criteria that is not also ugly. I had a pair of shoes for four years that I wore until they were no longer wearable that were similar to what I now want – they were black, round-toed, had a leprechaun-like buckle and strap, and a 2-inch slightly chunky square heel. They were perfect, but alas, they have passed on to good shoe heaven. I have a very, very hectic schedule, so I have to think through what shoes to wear each day of the week very carefully. Employee parking is quite far away from the building I work in. Two days a week I work from 8-5, then trek across campus (sometimes in inclement weather) to the library for classes (I’m getting my Masters of Library Science.) Three days a week, I go straight from my 8-5 job to my part time job. On class days, I can’t wear my pointy pumps because there is far too much walking involved, but I don’t want to look unfashionable, either! And, I’m all good with casual, but I can’t stand to wear sneakers to work unless it’s a designated office cleaning or furniture moving day. I probably will not be able to afford a super-expensive shoe, but what I want most are style suggestions. Thank you!
Sincerely,
Casual Office Girl
Ayy yi yi! The Manolo’s head it is spinning right round, like the record, baby!
As far as the Manolo can tell his stylish and shoe-obsessed friend is looking for something like these from the Biviel.
Although, the Casual Office Girl might be just exactly the sort of super fantastic girl who would appreciate the Rania from the John Fluevog.
Yes, as with all of the shoes of the Fluevog, it is unusual, and certainly not for all of the tastes, but it is also handsome and distinctive in the way that the Manolo’s friend may appreciate.
November 9th, 2006 at 1:52 pm
Well, I know to whom to ask very specific shoe questions now, wow! These shoes even look comfy - most stylish shoes tend not to be, in my (limited) experience.
November 9th, 2006 at 2:55 pm
I love the description of the Fluevog shoe on Zappos: “The Rania boasts of both medieval and urban styling.” A shoe that boasts! Of medieval-urban styling! Bring on the pitchforks and the catapults, and let’s storm the city walls!
November 9th, 2006 at 4:16 pm
You are more than kind to consider that request. It was quite…specific. That’s what it’s like working in retail. All. The. Time.
November 9th, 2006 at 6:22 pm
Ooooh, those Biviel shoes are adorable. I, too, constantly search for non-pump, non-pointy, non-boot, non-sneaker shoes. My workplace is business casual, so while I have a lot of leeway in choice of footwear, I tend to stick with loafers. So it’s nice to see such cute, trendy, yet work-appropriate shoes.
November 9th, 2006 at 9:08 pm
The Manolo is indeed super fantastic.
November 9th, 2006 at 10:06 pm
Ayyyyye, these make the wenz curse her genetic heritage and wish for the squillionth time that she did NOT have Feet of Unusual Breadth (both wide & deep). Should wenz not have the feet of the bricks, she too would be cavorting in these delectable non-pump, non-pointy, non-boot, non-sneaker shoes.
November 10th, 2006 at 10:46 am
That girl could almost be me! Well, except for the part-time job and the masters degree, but still!
Alas and alak, I cannot wear either of those shoes. Darn these size 12 feet of mine! Maybe if I cut off my toes…they don’t do anything after all…
November 10th, 2006 at 12:48 pm
Wenz, you should consider trying Fluevogs, although perhaps not the one the lovely Manolo has selected. I too am cursed with a wide foot that also comes with a high arch and a high instep. Although Fluevogs do not come in widths, I have found that most of their shoes work very well for me.
Christina, many Fluevogs are available in size 12 - while Zappos has a fairly limited selection in that size, the Fluevog website and stores often have size 12s.
(And no, I do not work for Fluevog, I am simply a fan of their shoes, and have more than 10 pairs.)
November 10th, 2006 at 1:17 pm
the only thing that confuses me about the particular fluevog shoe suggested is: why does it have a round-toe upper and a square toe sole? is that intentional?
November 10th, 2006 at 1:25 pm
“Non-Pump, Non-Pointy, Non-Boot, Non-Sneaker Shoe” is longhand for “Hipster Librarian Shoe” and as a member of this unheralded group of hardworking gals putting their dilletante liberal arts backgrounds to good use in civil service, I thank you, Manolo! The Fluevog is perfect.
November 10th, 2006 at 1:41 pm
Might I also suggest the Report line of shoes. I have 2 pairs, and they are super comfy. My favorite pair has a roundish square toe, is flat, and a bronzey gold color. Great for the fall!!
November 10th, 2006 at 2:50 pm
May I also suggest something in the way of a little color? I’ve found that a basic comfortable loafer in a color that coordinates with one’s wardrobe (perhaps a red, bronze or blue) adds some variety and excitement to one’s work shoe wardrobe.
November 11th, 2006 at 2:26 pm
Manolo, as always, is so right on the money with those selections. That request made me want to lie down with an ice pack and martini.Is there a Phd for shoe wisdom? Manolo deserves the honorary doctorate.
November 12th, 2006 at 6:52 pm
grace, the wenz is grateful for suggestions … and should she not have to import the Fluevog to her home acrosss the Pacific Ditch first she might have tried them. Tragically the genetic curse is a very strong one - the bricklike feet are of the EEEE width. Which is way out there on the bellcurve of normal, and hideously past anything that is a wide B. Even the EE’s are usually too tight for comfort (trying to save my feet of the pain for my geriatric shelf life). So she lives vicariously through the shoe blogs and purchases of others.
November 12th, 2006 at 11:33 pm
Can’t be too much harder to locate than the 11N…under $300, that is. One can find the 11, or the narow, but rarely do their interests converge!! The ‘Lizzard, too, she covets the interesting shoes from afar.
November 13th, 2006 at 10:05 am
Thank you, Manolo of the Shoe Blog! I know the request was rather specific, but I really have been rotating the same three pairs of shoes for much longer than I like (I really like interesting shoes, and until this year, super-comfort was not too important.) I found that wearing some of my more interesting pairs of shoes was giving me blisters and making me late because I couldn’t walk fast enough. One more question, though … if I were to wear a shoe such as the Fluevog in the winter, what sort of sock, if any, is appropriate? Obviously if I wear it with a skirt, I could wear tights or hose, but what if I wear it with pants? Trouser socks? I’ve never liked the look of a slipper-style shoe with visible sock … yes, I’m needy. Thank you for answering my annoyingly specific question! :-)
November 14th, 2006 at 5:35 pm
If anyone buys the Fluvog shoes, could they please report back whether or not they are true to size? Thanks
November 14th, 2006 at 9:56 pm
The Manolo is brilliant. Halfway through Casual Girl’s letter I was thinking, “she needs to get herself to John Fluevog.”
Fluevogs generally run small but it varies by style. It’s best to call one of their retail stores and ask about sizing. They know it’s odd and they are generally very helpful. I would buy the shoes from the Fluevog website rather than zappos because Zappos charges more than retail.
November 29th, 2006 at 12:10 am
If you can find a store (online or not) that sells the same shoe for less, Zappo’s will refund you 110% of the difference. That’s how I found this blog… I was looking for my soon-to-be shoe (the Biviel 464) for a cheaper price than Zappos. So far no luck. And Casual Office Girl, I’d also check out Camper. They have amazingly well-built shoes, and some of them are quite quirky. I’m considering the rather basic (but amazingly comfortable) 20191, but some of the other shoes look really fun. Also Merrell has a very nice mary-jane that looks dressy and hardly even the slightest bit hiking-boot-like, and is great for walking. :)