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Shoes Day Tuesday: The Black Pump

We're back with more Shoes Every Woman Needs: Recommendations. Up next on this Shoes Day Tuesday are black pumps. Katie 2 is very happy that we are going back to the top of the list, and hopes that we can proceed through the remainder of the list in order. But the real reason we are doing black pumps next isn't because of Katie 2's neurosis, but really because black pumps are the most basic and therefore sometimes the hardest to find. And, because you wear them all the time they will probably have to be replaced the most often (even if you do follow up on the regular shoe maintenance and shoe repair tips we've given you).

We would like to note before we get started that some of the nude pumps we recommended are also available in black. We refer you to that post for many more options, but here we will attempt to highlight different shoes and designers than we did in the Nude Recommendations and Shoes Every Woman Needs posts. 


Without further ado, here are some great finds if you're looking to get a pair of black pumps/replace your black pumps/buy more pairs of black pumps because you can never have too many. 

Frugal (less than $100)

  1. The gold standard for all basic black pumps for girls on a budget? Nine West. Take a look at the Fifth Pump.
  2. The Coach Devon in black patent leather. Moderate heel, almond toe, classic. Fits the bill perfectly (and on super sale BTW, although sized are limited so act fast!)
  3. For black with a little something extra, try a faux leather embossed like these Jessica Simpson Levin Pumps. 
  4. While we've never tried Tahari shoes, their clothes are pretty on point, so we're comfortable recommending the Peyton Pump.
  5. If you prefer a lower heel, try the Sieria from Aldo. Be sure to act fast- they're severely discounted.
Mid-line ($100 - $200)
  1. The Coach Rosey in black patent leather. Very similar to the Coach Devon, above, with with a slightly higher heel. 
  2. Banana Republic Madison Twelve Hour Pump. Never tried them ourselves, but reviews have been positive- is it really possible to find a pump that's wearable for 12 hours? We are intrigued. 
  3. Another almond toe option is the Ann Taylor Skyler Pump. 
  4.  know, I know, we raved about it in this post and this one too, but it needs to be said that the Kate Spade Licorice Pump is a great choice. (We recognize that the link to the Kate Spade Licorice Pump shows the shoes are $298 and yet included in the "Mid-line" category. This is not a mistake- KS shoes are on sale all the time and we won't pay over $200 for them. But we don't really have a ton of time to scour for a black pair at the right price because we have #realjobs.) 
  5. They are suede, but with such a classic shape, we felt we needed to highlight the Aquatalia Harlee Pump.

What Katie 1 Spends ($200 and up) 
  1. The Legend High Heel Pump from Stuart Weitzman is available in both black leather and black suede. 
  2. Louboutin's Simple Leather Red Sole Pump is recommended based on Katie 1's own personal experience. They are COMFORTABLE. 
  3. Prada's tend to run wide, so if you have a wider foot, maybe try the Leather Pointed-Toe 85mm Pump. 
  4. Stable on heels? Try these Manolo Blahnik BB Leather 105mm Pumps with a super thin heel. 
  5. These Ferragamo Nero Patent Bow Pumps aren't exactly BASIC basic, but they are simple enough to count for this "basic black" category. And we couldn't leave them out because they are ADORABLE. 
Elizabeth said we needed a conclusion, so here we have a bunch of options for you to look at. Check back on another Shoes Day Tuesday for our recommendations in the other major categories of essential shoes.
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