Are these shoes "professional attire"?

[Globules]

I've noticed more women wearing this type of shoe to work, with smart trousers etc.

So do you consider them suitable for the office, meetings etc?

completely depends on the workplace

@Globules I think of those as trainers!!

I work in the City and they would be fine, except in the very most formal of meetings.

As long as you're well groomed and stylish you'd be fine - grubby trainers with a scruffy outfit not so much. Despite the label 'casual' it's actually harder to get right than more traditional office clothes.

Someone was wearing crocs in my office the other day so these would probably like quite smart! We aren't client facing though.

No

Ye but where are you seeing them?

loads of women wear casual shoes on their way to and from work (less common but also if they go out for their lunch) with the outfit they will be wearing but have shoes to change into for while they are in the office.

I'm a member of support staff in the Judiciary. Strictly no trainers for us although I have a couple of Ecco black leather ones that could pass as comfy shoes.

Two different questions here!

Professional attire? Well obviously no.
Suitable for the workplace.. every workplace I've worked in in the last decade yes this is fine. My workplaces have been fairly modern and you can wear what you like as long as it's not like stripper attire or something.

No, not professional attire.

Depends on the office
We aren't customer facing but no trainers or denim allowed

In our global corporate finance company they are the norm all year around - clients are coming for meetings wearing them as well.

@Globules Out of interest are men wearing trainers in your office as well?

I work for a large global Pharma company and yes, lots of people are wearing this kind of footwear with smart outfits. I wear them with wide leg trousers, top and blazer. But then again I could wear jeans and converse too. So 🤷‍♀️

I bought a pair like this for the summer and it really pained me to do so as in my mind they're too casual for the office but then they're a lot smarter than what many people are wearing and seem to be acceptable in Client offices too. I got leather ones from Clarks so no sports branding on them. I work in a building with several big legal companies and they are a lot more casually dressed than I would expect.

I love how everyone automatically assumes professional = being a lawyer or working in an office.

I can’t imagine these shoes being acceptable on a building site, for a police officer or a high end restaurant manager to name a few, yet on MN if they’re suitable for an office they’re obviously fine 🙄.

Thank you for such a range of responses.

I'm asking as company policy says "professional attire that is suitable to your role"

I'd argue there are some days this is professional attire and some days it isn't.

And I'd also argue a man benefits more from this policy, as I find it hard to purchase decent professional attire worthy flats with good grip.

We aren't customer facing but do have meetings with directors and CEOs of big organisations at times. We have been told business attire Mon-Thurs, dress down Fridays (but within reason). Quite a few of the younger workers wear jeans and converse, not sure why no one has mentioned it really. We have been reminded a few times re the dress code even when on teams for meetings (its in our policy). I no longer wear blouses/shoes and tend to wear a smartish top, trousers and boots but I actually used to like wearing smarter stuff but it would really stand out now.

Not in my office although they would have been fine in my last one. I'd feel ok wearing them for a coffee type meeting but not to a meeting in a smart office.

To be fair there are plenty of grippy loafers out there. Not quite as comfortable as trainers but then nor are men's shoes.

Pre Covid our office was smart casual, post COVID we’ve definitely down graded to casual.

Lots of professional roles don’t include clients or external meetings.

I haven’t seen anyone wear a tie or heels to the office in at least the last 5 years.