Flat shoes for work

[littlese]

Currently wearing ankle boots with midi dresses for work.
What flat shoes do you wear with midi dresses that are comfortable to walk in all day?

Last summer I walked to work in trainers then changed to heels but want to see if there are any smart ish flat shoes for work I could wear. Most look so frumpy!

"'comfortable" ? "Practical"?

Frumpy is an interesting word. You're right that there isn't a male equivalent! At least, I thought of dowdy but this article popped up which is pretty good

https://slate.com/human-interest/2015/06/in-praise-of-dowdiness-its-an-insult-but-its-also-a-superpower.html

Interesting article. I don't think "dowdy" would be used for a man.

I'm also puzzled by this line-

Would you rather be Steve Carell’s character in Crazy, Stupid, Love before or after Ryan Gosling makes him throw away his New Balance sneakers?

New Balance are usually lauded on here.

My mother and grandmother used to say 'nunty', which I don't think I've heard anywhere else; I suspect it's a Scottish/Northern thing. 'Frumpy' is a really ugly, misogynistic word.

Back on top, my smart flat shoes are from Tracey Neuls

...and pressed bloody send too soon. The TN shoes are expensive, but incredibly comfortable and the service is fantastic. My favourites are the zebra print ponyskin ones 😊

Green sneakers

I really like these. They're in the same ball park as my boots from Lanx as being late 19th century Lancashire mill lass striding over cobbles look.

The only male equivalent I can think of for men would be to describe them as 'old-fashioned' I think?

I have these ballet flats. They were relatively cheap and I love them, although I know Next is roundly despised on here. I can't afford many of the suggestions that I see on here. 😁

https://www.next.co.uk/style/st692180/385921#385921

"'comfortable" ? "Practical"?

Yes @SweetSakura but referring to style/ trend, you can be comfortable/ practical and look "dowdy" or "frumpy" or comfortable and practical and look stylish and fashionable

You present your aunt and mother as objective examples.

Your aunt is the category which covers the likes Margaret Howell, Studio Nicholson, Casey Casey at the top end, Oska Ischiko in the middle, then Toast , then Cos and then cheaper copies. The Toast devotees have their own place here, but in every other thread praising that style there will be posters who hate it and think it's "frumpy", "dowdy" and "shapeless".

I try not to use "frumpy" as it's so subjective- but if I did use it a lot of what is posted as being suitable for wedding guests or mothers of grooms/brides is "frumpy". Many of the tops in "jeans and a nice top" suggestions are the same.

Does "frumpy" mean much more than "I wouldn't be seen dead in that"?

I have Tracey Neuls laced leather ankle boots & they're incredibly well made & v comfortable.

@Bearpawk I totally understand what you're saying as my mother & aunt are v similar to what you decribe.

Objectively they could both be wearing v similar types of outfits - trousers & a top for instance. Both shopping in similar places so no huge disparity where one is in primark & the other in designer.

And yet my aunt will invariably look far more stylish or put together or elegant than my mother. My aunt will manage yo find the trousers that suit her figure & fit well & has a sort of skill for finding inexpensive things that look far more expensive than they are. She has a flair for matching accessories & she looks great.

My mum will walk into the same shop & be drawn to the least well fitting trousers & probably a nylon fleece worn over a v basic t-shirt. No accessories.

They're like chalk & cheese. I would say my aunt is innately very stylish and my mum is just not.

As for how we describe poorly dresses men - we said 'old fogey' when I was young. As in 'wow dave is only in his 30s but he dresses like an old fogey'. Probably not allowed say that now either!

I don't hate the word frumpy at all & I think it perfectly described a particular way of dressing.

Men get away with so much more, largely because other men are not bitchy against them as women can be against women. And to be honest, in real life, most women just look ordinary and don't scrutinise each other in the way that people do on here. I very rarely look at a woman I know and think, 'God, they look frumpy/dowdy/tarty/insert MN insult of choice here.'

Sorry @NatashaDancing but I think those green shoes are not nice. They're also not 'sneakers' or not what I'd describe as sneakers. The best that can be said for them imo is that they look 'comfortable' - they also look as if they'd be right in line with the 'Toast' style outfit so loved by some on here.

They are dreadful. Your style choices are ‘interesting’.

And that's fine. I wouldn't call them "sneakers either.

Out of interest, would you describe those Tracey Neul "sneakers" as "frumpy" (I know you don't like the word)

Okay. I don't actually have them. OldHouseLover and SocksandtheCity mentioned that site.

These are the Lanx boots

https://lanxshoes.com/collections/womens-boots/products/chipping-black

I think these are the boots OldHouseLover was referring to.

https://traceyneuls.com/collections/flat-boots/products/magritte-smoke-black-lace-up-leather-boots

Are they "interesting"?

I wouldn't describe anything as frumpy. They're just a pair of ugly shoes, but their overall appeal or not would be in what they were paired with.

Love the first pair of boots (I have virtually identical from Seasalt - their clothes are mostly awful but they have some great boots).

Hate the second pair.

I wear white leather or blue suede M&S trainers from last year
Birkenstocks
Supergas - have in tons of colours
M&S loafers

Zebra print

These? I like them. They are interesting (no quotation marks and no veiled insult) They look good but are not something I'd wear.

@NatashaDancing no, mine are platform lace up shoes - I couldn't find them on the site (I've had them for a while). They are the most comfortable shoes I've ever owned, which is great when you're on your feet a lot

I suspect I like them more because they remind me of a pair of what used to be called brothel creepers I had in leopard print as a teenager 😀

The first pair are ok. They are a classic brogue style.

The second pair are ugly imo.

I had zebra print brothel creepers, with the pointiest toe ever. They were half a size too big and therefore never very comfortable, but I wore them until they fell apart!

I don't have those boots @NatashaDancing I think those ones are really ugly!
Mine don't seem to be on the site anymore. I got them in 2021 I think but they're basically a laced up version of these

I like them ! I wouldn't buy them myself but if I saw someone wearing them, I'd think - interesting (in a good way)

Thank you and SocksandtheCity for linking to the site.

Oooooh, I need purple shoes for my graduation ceremony. Might take a trip.