A good pair of ballet flats is essential, whether you're wearing them as part of your ensemble or stashing them under your desk for quick relief from painful heels. Ballet flats work with every season and (almost) every outfit, so invest in a quality pair you love. This color-blocked pair of Fendi Textured Leather Ballet Flats, $590 are bright, but still professional. (We also love these comfortable Hush Puppies Chaste Ballet Flats
that come in over 40 different colors.)
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Basic Pumps
As a shoe-aholic, I'm prone to buying gorgeous, flashy pairs of heels I can wear with maybe three outfits. (Case in point, the floral pumps on my top shelf that I wore for approximately four hours to exactly one wedding.) For work, you want to invest in a pair of wear-with-everything pumps in a neutral shade like black or nude. Keep the heels at a comfortable height (no more than three inches), and make sure they don't rub along the edges.
Leather or suede booties are the perfect shoe for going from work to happy hour. The streamlined shape is sexy (in a work-appropriate kind of way) with jeans, dress pants or dresses and tights. The breathable panel on these Jimmy Choo Deluxe Nubuck and Leather Ankle Boots, $925, keeps your feet cool throughout a long day. (A more affordable option is this pair of Sam Edelman Jaclyn Booties, $150.)
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Casual Ankle Boots
Ankle boots can instantly dress up a pair of slim-cut trousers and a button-down blouse, or are a comfortable footwear option paired with fall and winter sweater dresses. Choose a pair with unique details like the bows on these Kate Spade Lanise Leather Boots
(pictured), $350, or the perforated details on these Sole Society Sidney Boots, $90.
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Riding Boots
Fall is my favorite season for many reasons, but one of the major ones is the chance to break out boots again. Comfy, stylish and versatile, riding boots can be worn with anything from pencil-slim trousers to wrap dresses. Depending on your work environment or the rest of your outfit, heeled boots or over-the-knee boots can appear too risqué, so choose flat riding boots to err on the side of caution. Pictured are MICHAEL Michael Kors Rhea Flat Suede Fringe Boots, $285.
You've heard it a dozen times -- dress for the job you want, not the job you have. As a career woman, it's important to have a wardrobe you feel confident and powerful in. But at the same time, you don't want to throw every element of your personal style in the trash for uniform style. To strike the perfect balance, we've compiled a list of the 13 shoes every career woman should have. These shoes complement every outfit in your work wardrobe, are professional and sophisticated, and still leave room for your own style interpretation. Do you need some basic pumps for work -- yes. But who says they can't be snakeskin pumps?
that come in over 40 different colors.)
(pictured), $350, or the perforated details on these Sole Society Sidney Boots, $90.
, $285.