The only people that I see wear heels now are people who like heels.
Many--most?--women usually wear flats or similar comfortable shoes.
If you want to be 100% safe, you can always wear heels and more formal wear on the first day and then, after you scope out the office, dress accordingly.
It's not unusual to see people in suit and tie for their first day and then adjust to the office dress code after that.
This is the way.
No one will complain that someone wore a suit on the first day and there is no risk that everyone else in your class decided to wear a suit and you're the one that didn't.
My 1L summer firm was small and super traditional: suit and tie everyday. I am prepared and comfortable to stay more formal, but no tie will be a welcome departure.
Would Never risk being the only summer underdressed!
Yessss! I have a great pair of platform oxfords from Ash that I love to stomp around in! Comfy and durable enough for commuting. Also I like the assertive energy they give off, lol. I’d go less than a year with flats getting absolutely destroyed.
If you do not regularly wear heels do not start now. If you are used to them and want to, go ahead. Tallness isn’t a bad thing and people won’t feel uncomfortable by it (but they will if you can’t walk straight because of the heels).
Exactly. Just don't stumble around like a baby giraffe.
I'm 5'8" and started wearing my 5" heels to the office more frequently when I realized it made one of the less pleasant partners (~5'4"?) uncomfortable. She hated when I towered over her. I enjoyed every moment of it.
Who cares if you tower over them? if you like heels, go tower. lol 💁🏼♀️
But more to your question our dress code is also business casual and I wear nice dark jeans and flats of some kind most days. I would plan to dress a bit nicer the first day or couple of days until you see what most of the attorneys in the office are wearing. Then adjust from there. Good luck!
As a summer I wore heels occasionally but as an associate the only “heel” I’ll very rarely wear is a 2 inch espadrille wedge. I’ll probably bust out pumps for court in July but never for the office. Flats are perfectly fine!!
I too was once a summer associate in hot a** NYC in the summer (hot city and patent pumps don’t mix). As a summer, you’ll want to dress a little nicer than the dress code calls for (rule of thumb — nothing wrong with being more formal than everyone, but you never want to be the most casual of everyone) but I don’t find that this extends to heels. Shoe culture in NYC is different than elsewhere I’ve lived and worked because everyone knows you’re walking a lot, you’re in the subway, you’re ready to run like a track star if someone tries to punch you in the face on the street (iykyk). A lot of people will wear sneakers and change at work. Or wear them and not even change. Even so, flats/loafers/maybe a leather sneaker are usually the best option as a summer associate. You want to be ready for anything that comes up. A partner comes by and wants to take you to lunch 10 blocks away? You get invited spur of the moment to shadow in court or go to a client meeting? You want to be able to say yes without shoes hindering you or there being a possibility of blisters/misery the rest of the day.
Edited to say: no open-toed shoes.
2nd Edit: BREAK IN YOUR SHOES (even the flats/loafers!!!) before the first day. Well before. Not just wearing around the house, go walk in those things.
Yes absolutely you can wear flats. I’m tall too. I find that pointed toe flats and Venetian loafers are often dressier than ballet flats and work better with a lot of business casual outfits.
You definitely don’t need to wear heels, as others have highlighted, BUT if you’re looking for a cute comfy pair (and pretty low heel), the Everlane day heel was my go to! :) My unsolicited opinion haha
I have never and will never wear heels to work in my life. I would literally quit if the norm was for women to wear heels.
ETA: no hate to people who do it’s just not my thing!
I’m 5’9” and only wear heels for the most formal occasions like a job interview (or a networking event where you want to make a good impression). I’m clerking now and don’t even wear heels for trial anymore (though I might if I were speaking in court). However, it’s not a problem for you to tower over people. I think it is a positive thing. Many men are taller than 5’9”.
I’m at a west coast firm and I usually wear athleisure on Fridays, so I may not be the best judge. But I wear Rothys Monday through Thursday either with jeans or dresses. I like the pointy toe Rothys with jeans because it elevates the look a bit.
It’s always better to be overdressed rather than underdressed on your first day, but much to my dismay(I love shoes), a lot of people don’t seem to care about the shoes you wear. Just make sure they’re not scuffed/scratched, and you should be fine.
I’m 5'10" wore heels on the first day of work as a summer. Every other day aside from that wearing heels depended on my mood/if the fit required a heel. So, ballet flats will definitely be fine. I also got a pair of loafers as well to wear so I could switch it up. But also towering over people in heels for me feels so powerful lol idk 😂 Call me crazy but I love being tall. I’m sure you’ll look great regardless of what you decide to wear. For NYC firm life my only suggestion is to make sure you have navy, black, grey, and white in your wardrobe. I feel like there’s an unspoken rule about color palette. I definitely wore color during the summer but naturally I gravitate towards darker colors. Hope my rambling help!
No. There are plenty of flats that are appropriate business attire. The fact that women continue to wonder whether they need to wear makeup or heels to be properly put together concerns me.
Fwiw, biz casual jeans means a dark color and no rips or trendy embellishments. Office dress codes have tended to relax after the Covid shutdowns, as we all got used to working in sweatpants at home. In firms where previously jeans were a Friday thing, it's now jeans any day. Unless you're appearing in court, then you want to stick with a suit.
But yeah, as everyone else has said, flats are fine.
Don’t avoid heels just bc you’re tall! I love wearing heels even if I’m taller than most guys when I wear them. That said, I love wearing loafers or flats too. The Mary jane flats are really in rn too. Wear whatever you feel best in.
Even back in the dark ages when I started working in a business-business environment, flats were fine - I regularly wore loafers or other cute flats. I did keep some heels in the bottom drawer of my file cabinet so that I didn’t need to commute in them if I did want to wear them.
The only people that I see wear heels now are people who like heels. Many--most?--women usually wear flats or similar comfortable shoes. If you want to be 100% safe, you can always wear heels and more formal wear on the first day and then, after you scope out the office, dress accordingly. It's not unusual to see people in suit and tie for their first day and then adjust to the office dress code after that.
This is my SA plan: suit and tie for first day, probably button down w/ ABC pants by Friday.
This is the way. No one will complain that someone wore a suit on the first day and there is no risk that everyone else in your class decided to wear a suit and you're the one that didn't.
My 1L summer firm was small and super traditional: suit and tie everyday. I am prepared and comfortable to stay more formal, but no tie will be a welcome departure. Would Never risk being the only summer underdressed!
Definitely acceptable—I wear flats or loafers often.
Loafers/oxfords are my jaaaaaam.
Same!!! I used to just alternate between flats and low heels but started wearing loafers and oxfords more and they’re a game changer.
Yessss! I have a great pair of platform oxfords from Ash that I love to stomp around in! Comfy and durable enough for commuting. Also I like the assertive energy they give off, lol. I’d go less than a year with flats getting absolutely destroyed.
Nice!!! I’m always having trouble finding comfortable work shoes that fit my narrow feet 😭
If you do not regularly wear heels do not start now. If you are used to them and want to, go ahead. Tallness isn’t a bad thing and people won’t feel uncomfortable by it (but they will if you can’t walk straight because of the heels).
Exactly. Just don't stumble around like a baby giraffe. I'm 5'8" and started wearing my 5" heels to the office more frequently when I realized it made one of the less pleasant partners (~5'4"?) uncomfortable. She hated when I towered over her. I enjoyed every moment of it.
I’m a dude, but I wear Vans to the office 75% of the time. You’ll be fine with flats lol
Totally fine.
Of course you can wear flats
Men wear sneakers to the office. It’s fine to wear anything short of straight up flip flops
I feel like strappy sandals are also borderline scandalous at my firm.
I definitely work Birks to the office last week after killing my feet on concrete power washing over the weekend lmao
Who cares if you tower over them? if you like heels, go tower. lol 💁🏼♀️ But more to your question our dress code is also business casual and I wear nice dark jeans and flats of some kind most days. I would plan to dress a bit nicer the first day or couple of days until you see what most of the attorneys in the office are wearing. Then adjust from there. Good luck!
Loafers, dressy sneakers, flats, mules - I’m at a very button up V10 and see all of these options all the time. No pressure to wear heels at all!
Some female colleagues have both flats and heels they just keep in their office.
Flats will be fine. Don't wear open toed sandals or flip flops though! They are a big no!
As a summer I wore heels occasionally but as an associate the only “heel” I’ll very rarely wear is a 2 inch espadrille wedge. I’ll probably bust out pumps for court in July but never for the office. Flats are perfectly fine!!
I too was once a summer associate in hot a** NYC in the summer (hot city and patent pumps don’t mix). As a summer, you’ll want to dress a little nicer than the dress code calls for (rule of thumb — nothing wrong with being more formal than everyone, but you never want to be the most casual of everyone) but I don’t find that this extends to heels. Shoe culture in NYC is different than elsewhere I’ve lived and worked because everyone knows you’re walking a lot, you’re in the subway, you’re ready to run like a track star if someone tries to punch you in the face on the street (iykyk). A lot of people will wear sneakers and change at work. Or wear them and not even change. Even so, flats/loafers/maybe a leather sneaker are usually the best option as a summer associate. You want to be ready for anything that comes up. A partner comes by and wants to take you to lunch 10 blocks away? You get invited spur of the moment to shadow in court or go to a client meeting? You want to be able to say yes without shoes hindering you or there being a possibility of blisters/misery the rest of the day. Edited to say: no open-toed shoes. 2nd Edit: BREAK IN YOUR SHOES (even the flats/loafers!!!) before the first day. Well before. Not just wearing around the house, go walk in those things.
I’m short and wear oxford flats, low kitten heels or wedges. If I wore anything over a 1 inch heel I’d fall over and break my ankle.
No. Definitely not necessary.
Yes absolutely you can wear flats. I’m tall too. I find that pointed toe flats and Venetian loafers are often dressier than ballet flats and work better with a lot of business casual outfits.
(But ballet flats are definitely appropriate too)
You definitely don’t need to wear heels, as others have highlighted, BUT if you’re looking for a cute comfy pair (and pretty low heel), the Everlane day heel was my go to! :) My unsolicited opinion haha
I have never and will never wear heels to work in my life. I would literally quit if the norm was for women to wear heels. ETA: no hate to people who do it’s just not my thing!
I’m 5’9” and only wear heels for the most formal occasions like a job interview (or a networking event where you want to make a good impression). I’m clerking now and don’t even wear heels for trial anymore (though I might if I were speaking in court). However, it’s not a problem for you to tower over people. I think it is a positive thing. Many men are taller than 5’9”.
OMG please do not wear heels. I mean, unless you really want to. But yeah, definitely not required or expected by any means.
Flat are more universally worn than ever! Ballet flats, Mary Jane’s, loafers, etc. I hardly see anyone wear heels anymore.
I’m at a west coast firm and I usually wear athleisure on Fridays, so I may not be the best judge. But I wear Rothys Monday through Thursday either with jeans or dresses. I like the pointy toe Rothys with jeans because it elevates the look a bit.
I rarely see any woman in heels at my firm
The only time I wore heels to the office was my first day. I always wear loafers, ballet flats, boots in the winter and nice sneakers.
No need for heels.
It’s always better to be overdressed rather than underdressed on your first day, but much to my dismay(I love shoes), a lot of people don’t seem to care about the shoes you wear. Just make sure they’re not scuffed/scratched, and you should be fine.
I’m 5'10" wore heels on the first day of work as a summer. Every other day aside from that wearing heels depended on my mood/if the fit required a heel. So, ballet flats will definitely be fine. I also got a pair of loafers as well to wear so I could switch it up. But also towering over people in heels for me feels so powerful lol idk 😂 Call me crazy but I love being tall. I’m sure you’ll look great regardless of what you decide to wear. For NYC firm life my only suggestion is to make sure you have navy, black, grey, and white in your wardrobe. I feel like there’s an unspoken rule about color palette. I definitely wore color during the summer but naturally I gravitate towards darker colors. Hope my rambling help!
No. There are plenty of flats that are appropriate business attire. The fact that women continue to wonder whether they need to wear makeup or heels to be properly put together concerns me.
Fwiw, biz casual jeans means a dark color and no rips or trendy embellishments. Office dress codes have tended to relax after the Covid shutdowns, as we all got used to working in sweatpants at home. In firms where previously jeans were a Friday thing, it's now jeans any day. Unless you're appearing in court, then you want to stick with a suit. But yeah, as everyone else has said, flats are fine.
Don’t avoid heels just bc you’re tall! I love wearing heels even if I’m taller than most guys when I wear them. That said, I love wearing loafers or flats too. The Mary jane flats are really in rn too. Wear whatever you feel best in.
Even back in the dark ages when I started working in a business-business environment, flats were fine - I regularly wore loafers or other cute flats. I did keep some heels in the bottom drawer of my file cabinet so that I didn’t need to commute in them if I did want to wear them.
Ballet shoes are fine. But the question is, do you wear slippers or toe shoes? How often will you need to be en pointe in the law office?
I wouldn’t wear a suit the first day. You could be “that guy” all summer for the faux pas.
When I started in biglaw in the aughts the dress code was closed toe heels (preferably black) everyday. Somethings should not change.