Can You Wear Open Toed Shoes to an Interview?

Are open toed shoes professional enough to wear to a job interview? Or is showing up in open toed shoes going to make a bad impression on your interviewer or recruiter?

Well, times have changed, and most people no longer think that open toed shoes are completely inappropriate.

In fact, there are many professional women who wear open toed shoes to the office. You’ll see lawyers, i-banking analysts, and marketing professionals wearing open toed shoes. And if you look at fields such as Public Relations or Sales, then you’re certainly going to see professionals wearing open toed shoes.

However, while it’s common nowadays in a professional setting to see women wearing open toed dress shoes, is it something that is appropriate for an interview?

Not always. Sometimes it can be a huge mistake to wear an open toed shoe to an interview

Let’s review this in some detail so that by the end of the piece you’ll have a pretty good idea as to if it’s a good idea.

Are Open Toed Shoes Professional

This depends on what type of shoe you are wearing. Some open toed shoes aren’t really professional. It all depends on the design.

Open toed sandals are not professional, especially flats and flip flops. Espadrilles, for instance, aren’t appropriate shoes to wear to a professional interview.

And if the open toed shoes are more designed for the beach, or advertised as casual, then it’s something you need to stay clear off.

The type of open toed shoes that are appropriate are going to be the professional looking black, often high heeled, shoes that you’d see on someone who is dressed in a business suit.

If the shoe is strappy and looks more like a club shoe or a sandal that you would be able to wear to a casual lunch or the beach or a picnic, then skip it and leave it at home.

The only open toed shoes that are professional and acceptable for an interview are sleek looking black shoes that are either high heeled, pumps, or flats. And they should not be too decorative or fancy.

Are They Considered Business Casual?

So, are open toed shoes considered business casual? Yes, for most offices, open toed shoes are considered business casual.

The ones in the photo above, however, are definatyl on the more stylish end of a casual look and more suited for events. If you’re interviewing for an executive sales role or E.A. or P.A role or Public Relations firm, then it’s more suitable.

For firms that have dress down Fridays, they are perfectly acceptable. In fact, for the majority of offices, women are able to wear open toed shoes that are even more casual than what would be acceptable for an interview.

Business casual open toed shoes should not be worn on an interview. For an interview, it would be better to get something that is strictly professional.

For business casual, shoes such as wedges are ok, but flip flops are not the best options.

There is a whole other question regarding sandals, which we’ll cover in a lower section. But, to wrap this up, it’s enough to say that you should stay clear of shoes that might be consider business casual when you are choosing an outfit for a job interview.

Sandals vs Dress Shoes with Open Toes

Sandals are sometimes alright to wear if you’re going to work on a dress down Friday, or if the sandals are high end fashion sandals.

Flip flops are never alright to wear. You really can’t get away with wearing flip flops to work. It’s not one of those rules that can be flexible (such as whether or not you can wear jeans to an interview). It’s hard and fast.

Sandals as a rule are shoes that I’d suggest you avoid wearing to a job interview. They are not really appropriate to wear for a job interview.

Open toed shoes are not all sandals, which is obvious. The only sandals that you should be wearing to work are dress sandals, and that’s only something you should be doing on a day where it’s dress down and everyone is dressed accordingly.

Open toed shoes are not all sandals, of course. The ones that you should consider appropriate for a professional interview are shoes such as these:

Is This Something Men Can Get Away With?

Frankly, no. While some companies might profess to not have an issue with a man showing up wearing sandals, it’s just not a professional look. Men who show up in anything other than business dress shoes to an interview are sabotaging their chances.

This means that you can’t show up in sneakers, even dress sneakers from designers like Cole Hahn. And you certainly can’t show up in sneakers to a job interview.

The fact is that most men’s sandals are designed to be super casual. It’s simply not a style for men to wear sandals in any sort of professional environment. Sandals are basically backyard party and beach wear for men.

If you were to show up to a job interview wearing sandals as a man you are almost guaranteeing that you’re going to lose yourself the job.

What Kind of Shoes Should a Woman Wear?

Women should try and stick to classic business shoes. Open toed shoes are fine, until you run into a hiring manager (man or woman) who frowns upon them.
And that’s the catch. You never know when you’re going to run into someone who is not of the mindset that open toed shoes are fine for an interview.

So, to be cautious, I would advise not wearing open toed shoes unless you are aware that the corporate environment is one where it’s acceptable. Again, companies that are involved in fashion, marketing, beauty and similar business are more open to open toed shoes as a standard wardrobe choice.

Anytime you are meeting for an interview, whether it’s with a recruiter or with a company HR hiring manager, it’s improtant to pick out the proper outfit. It can sometimes be more important than what’s on the resume.