Interview tomorrow--shoe dilemma

In My Humble Opinion
1

So I’ve got a problem. Basically, I’m a college student with a very limited formal wardrobe. I’ve got one (1) pair of dark gray/black pants, one (1) button up white shirt, and a few pairs of shoes.

My problem? I left my only pair of formal black shoes at my parent’s house, a few hours away… and I have an interview tomorrow. This leaves me with a dilemma–I own 3 pairs of shoes here.

  1. brown pumps with a slight heel
  2. black open toe shoes with slight heel
  3. my sketchers (e.g. sneakers.)

Obviously, 3 is out, however practical and comfortable they may be. I am left with a serious problem: commit the fashion crime of black pants/brown shoes or commit a perhaps business-casual crime by wearing open toed shoes. These shoes are almost like sandals, they would perhaps be appropriate to wear out dancing, but would probably be a faux-pas for interviews.

So which is the lesser of the two evils? Any thoughts? This makes me very sad, but I have few other options. :frowning: Just figured out I didn’t have the shoes tonight…

PS: None of my friends wear my same size shoes, so I can’t borrow any. And I have class from 10-12, and then my interview is at 1:45, so I have no time for an impromptu shopping trip. (No car.)

2

Hmm, that’s a tough one without actually seeing the shoes in question. I would probably wear the open toed shoes, but then I am known to dress very inappropriately for almost all occasions. :wink:

3

Depends on where you’re interviewing. If it’s a more casual atmosphere, then go with the open-toe shoe, since it’s more fashionable. If it’s a stodgy place, then you must go closed-toe.

4

Yeah, I know it’s difficult without seeing them… hmm.

The open toe shoe looks kinda like this:
http://www.ballroom-connection.com/xcart/product.php?productid=66&cat=2&page=2

The straps are different, but it’s a low heel like that.

The brown shoes are pretty much just standard shoes in a darkish brown. They look kinda like this:

http://www.vintagedesignerclothing.net/BrownPumps.jpg

The heel is lower though.

Thanks for your thoughts!

Oh, and I’m interviewing for Nova, a company that teaches English in Japan. The interviewer asked us to wear “business casual…” Most of the people who work there are just out of school graduates, so I wouldn’t say it’s stodgy, but they do expect a high level of professionalism in Japan… ugh, so hard to decide!

5

I would say the open toed shoes simply because they are the correct color and still dressy enough to be considered business casual. I assume that it is business casual since you are not wearing a suit to the interview, right? Just make sure your toes are all pretty first.

6

Black open-toe shoes in a walk. Given that it’s business casual in a younger “hipper” environment, I think it’s probably a lot better to match than to commit a fashion faux pas while hiding your toes.

7

I would wear the brown shoes. A color mismatch may reflect on your style, but open-toe shoes to an interview reflect on your professionalism.

If you have something colorful to wear on top, that can pull attention away from your feet. Perhaps earrings or a pin. But in the end, don’t worry about it to much, its better to spend your time preparing for the interview. They know you’re a student, they’ve been there.

8

I don’t think I’d wear those black shoes. Are you sure you can’t make a quick trip to Payless or even Target? It might be worth trying to find the time if different shoes would make you feel more comfortable during the interview.

9

Do you know anyone you could borrow a pair of black shoes from?

10

I have to agree with this. Unless you really really know the company (ie. i went for a job at a funky young company today, and wore casual but hip clothes), err on the side of over-conservative. Your personality will tell them everything they need to know about your style.

And you’re being interviewed for a job, not for your style status, so I don’t think they’ll impact on you at all.

11

Could you wear the black shoes with black stockings? That might make the open toes barely noticeable, especially if your pants have a nice low cuff.

(I should probably tell you that I’m a fashion dipwad in a highly technical field who thinks that socks and mary janes are kind of cute. With a skirt.)

12

I’d either take black shoe polish to the brown shoes or wear a brown top. I wear charcoal gray pants with a brown sweater and brown beaded / gold jewlery in my position as RN case manager.
Wear the closed toe shoes.

13

Thanks for the advice, everyone. Since the consensus seems to be that both are pretty bad choices, and since I’d rather not be worrying about my shoes, I’ve decided to get up really early and head to Target this morning. But I really appreciate all your input!

14

Or borrow black shoes that are too big (by not too much) and put paper in the toes.

Let us know how it went!

15

So Tanaqui, did the interview go well, or did they just point at your shoes and laugh?

16

The open-toe is absolutely ok. I bet you see tons of them in the building when you walk through. They aren’t “dancing shoes” or anything. You’ll be fine.