We have no idea what “having it all” means exactly, but we’re pretty sure it includes having two wardrobes, one for work and one for the rest of life, and we, as women of the workplace, are well on our way to that ideal. There are three cardigans hanging from the backs of our chairs, a complete medicine cabinet in our drawers, and, of course, the pile of shoes hidden away beneath our desks.
Oh, the shoe pile. How did it get there? One day it was just a particularly uncomfortable pair of heels we abandoned at the end of the day and a set of rain boots (just in case). But oh how they’ve mysteriously multiplied: flats, sandals, open-toes, and wedges—there is a shoe for every possibility. Whether they be pairs neatly lined up in row, shoved into a filing cabinet, or spilling from a box that once held reams of copy paper, this is the shoe pile, and chances are you have one.
Here are the secret office shoe stashes of 21 working women.