By Jenn Bussell

If you are one of the lucky recent graduates to land gainful employment, kudos to you! Oh, and your first student loan repayment is due in six months.

With your polyester cap and gown safely returned, you can now focus on more stylish fashion choices: Shoes. More specifically, work-appropriate footwear.

There’s no need to banish the Birkenstocks, or forget about flip-flops altogether. You have three glorious summer months and many a weekend for them to have their days in the sun.

But come your first day on your new job you’ll need to kiss those comfies good-bye. It’s time to strap on the Big Girl shoes with confidence.

The best investment you can make to get you through your first few months on the job is in a pair of black heels and a pair of nude platforms.

For heels, you want to look for something in the 2.75 – 3.5” heel height range. These will give you the most flexibility with skirts, dresses, pants, and jeans. Personally, I prefer a more stacked heel to a stiletto, as it’s both easier on the back and those mad dashes for the train when you’re running late. These Calvin Klein’s in black kidskin will run you less than $90.

With a platform shoe, you can go a bit higher in heel height as the front-foot padding in the platform will balance out the shoe. Ideally you want a closed-toe version for four-season versatility, but a cute D’Orsay cut or open-toe style will take you from spring through early fall like these Nine West for under $75.

Once you’ve mastered the basics of the office fashion code, and find those paychecks slowly adding up, you can start to build a bigger, broader shoe collection with the addition of cork-heeled wedges and strappy sandals in happy colors. You just may need to find a bigger closet first.