Best Winter Shoes for the Office
Winter is here, and with it comes a shoe switcheroo for the office! Gone are the ankle-baring flats, pumps, and sneakers of the fall. Now it’s time for cozy boots and loafers (with socks)! The right pair of shoes can keep your feet warm and comfortable during the colder days of winter. Plus, it’s good to be prepared for anything winter weather may throw your way, whether that’s bitter cold, rain, snow, ice, wind—the list goes on!
Investing in more practical and versatile shoes can save you a ton of money in the long run. I highly recommend buying one or two really nice pairs of shoes that you’ll wear for seasons to come instead of buying a couple of cheap pairs that fall apart after one winter season. Below, I rounded up the best shoes that are appropriate for any office dress code and suitable for winter's variable weather. I curated a few widgets to help you find your perfect pair of work shoes. There’s also a few winter work outfit ideas with boots to inspire you! What shoes do you reach for in the winter? Let us know in the comments!
Best Winter Shoes For The Office
Dressing for the office come wintertime can be an interesting beast. If you commute by foot (and/or by subway, train, or bus), you likely care way more about your footwear holding up to the elements than people who drive and don’t have to walk outside quite as much.
If you do find yourself needed different shoes for the commute versus the office because of the weather, I definitely recommend investing in a nice pair of practical waterproof boots that will keep your feet warm and dry, like a pair of boots by Sorel (my favorite brand for snow boots), L.L.Bean, or Blundstone. If you can’t (or don’t want to) wear those boots all day in the office, keep a work-appropriate pair of flats or boots at your desk so you can swap them out.
If you don’t want to (or don’t have to) worry about switching your shoes, here’s a roundup of the best types of winter shoes to wear for a day at the office! These seven options are the most weather-appropriate shoes that are also comfortable and dressy enough for a workplace. Below, I also shared six winter work outfits with boots because boots are definitely the most practical and popular winter shoe option!
Lug sole loafers
There’s always some sort of loafer that’s in style. Right now, it’s the thick lug sole loafers. Lug soles instantly make shoes feel not as dressy, so they’re perfect for a more casual or creative office. Loafers are not usually a shoe I reach for in the winter because I don’t like my ankles being exposed to the cold air, but lug sole loafers look SO CUTE with fun wool socks! Grab a few fun pairs that you don’t mind exposing under a pair of cropped jeans or pants. They also pair perfectly with tights.
Waterproof heeled ankle boots
If you don’t have a pair of Blondo boots in your life yet, I recommend you give them a try. They have the best waterproof heeled ankle boots! I love them because they don’t look like boots that can handle a little rain and snow—they’re perfectly appropriate for my office environment. No one knows any better (unless you tell them all about your cute yet practical boots, which is totally something I recommend doing ha).
Shiny leather boots
Nothing is more fun or empowering than a pair of pointed shiny leather boots! The Marc Fisher pair I purchased a few years ago is still going strong and I love them now more than ever. I don’t know what it is about those boots, but I highly recommend owning a pair of boots or shoes that make you feel like a total boss. They’re what I look forward to wearing again when the weather cools down!
Lug sole chelsea boots
I recently bought myself a pair of the Go-To Lug Chelsea Boots by Nisolo, and they would make the perfect office-appropriate winter boots! They have the sleek ankle boot look but with the added benefit of traction thanks to the lug soles. The only downside of this particular boot is that they are not insulated and will not keep your feet warm and cozy, so I don’t recommend them if you’ll be outside for long periods of time in the cold.
Knee-high leather boots
Always a classic: the knee-high boot! There are always many variations of knee-high boots depending on what’s in style. Remember when over-the-knee boots were in style?! Gosh, I wanted a pair of those so bad LOL. I’m sure they’ll come back around again in the future. If you don’t want to feel like you’re chasing trends, you can’t go wrong with a simple leather tall boot with no bells or whistles. You’ll look professional for work AND like you’re ready to jump on a hunter/jumper horse!
Suede sock booties
Sock booties are sort of like if a pair of ankle boots had a pair of socks built into them. They’re slim-fitting along the foot, ankle, and lower calf, and they come up a little bit higher on your leg. These are the perfect boots for those of you that love the updated pant styles (straight leg, wide leg, flare, etc.). I have a pair of Aquatalia sock booties in suede, which is a great material because it feels super pliable and like it molds to your feet a little better than leather.
Lace-up lug sole boots
If you’re not a big fan of the chelsea lug sole boot, try a lace-up lug sole boot! These boots are definitely more on the casual side, but depending on the material (leather versus suede), one pair might feel more office-appropriate than another. These boots definitely have a more “all-weather” vibe than the other types of shoes mentioned here. They are the perfect option if you plan to go from work straight to the ski hill.
Winter Work Outfits With Boots
I’m a pro at the casual work outfits. My office dress code is on the casual end of business casual, so I’m pretty fortunate that I don’t have to really “dress up” for work and can wear denim, sweatshirts, sneakers, hats, etc. In the winter, I wear boots to work 99% of the time! (The other 1% of the time is when I wear sneakers…but I try not to bare my ankles during the winter months.) Here are a few outfit ideas to inspire you if you have a similar dress code! For more formal offices, I would swap jeans for trousers or ponte pants.
I really love my Blondo boots (grey ankle boots above). The shorter shaft may not be “in style” anymore, but I still wear them regularly. They’re super comfortable and also waterproof, so I love them for the winter months! They just aren’t terribly warm so I wouldn’t recommend them if you’re going to spend a lot of time outside. For this look, I added the light grey boots to brighten up the dark green sweater and dark grey jeans. The darker base outfit is a fun twist on monochromatic.
The other outfit above features my Marc Fisher chelsea ankle boots. I LOVE these boots so much. They’re one of my most-worn pairs during fall, winter, and spring. Though, I don’t wear them if it’s slick outside. The bottoms basically have no traction! I highly recommend a pair of shiny black leather boots. Every time I wear them, they make me feel like a boss. (I am an actual boss, but you know what I mean. 😆) I swear they dress up any outfit. It just wouldn’t feel the same if they weren’t shiny!
There aren’t many shoes more timeless than a pair of brown knee high boots! I truly believe tall boots that hit right under the knee are classic. They’re based off of equestrian boots, so how could they ever go out of style?! 😉 (I used to ride horses myself!) Opt for boots that aren’t embellished or buckled or that have anything on them that could date them in the future. I can’t help but style mine in the most quintessential preppy outfit with a cable knit sweater and wool topcoat.
A pair of boots that goes especially well with straight leg and wide leg jeans and pants are a pair of suede sock booties. These ankle boots have a higher shaft that is also fitted to your ankle and leg, so they don’t compete with the pants you are wearing and look especially good under jeans that have a wide opening. Plus, they have the added benefit of keeping your ankles protected from cold air! Be sure to treat any non-waterproof suede shoe with a protectant if you plan to wear them in wet weather.
Here are a couple more cold weather office outfits for ya! Thee both feature lace-up lug sole boots. While both of these boots would make the perfect après ski boot (the faux fur!), my Marc Fisher Izzie boot (black pair) are fancy enough that they could pass for a day at the office. I also love how they are sleek and don’t have a wide silhouette. My Earth boots are a bit wider, but that makes them so comfy in the footbed, and they’re super easy to zip on and go with the inside zippers. Pair these shoes with slim jeans or pants, and be sure to add a pair of socks peeking out under a pair of cropped jeans you wear!