I was pulling shoes off my closet shelf last Sunday — the kind of slow, coffee-in-hand sorting I do when the cat isn’t shedding on my lap — and I pulled out a wine-colored pump from a few years back. Same deep red-purple. Same suede. I hadn’t worn it in ages, and it still fit.
That’s when I realized: I’ve been chasing the wrong color this whole time.
For years I was kind of obsessed with purple pumps. I did entire roundups, hunts, whole series on purple heels. Except — as my readers pointed out — the ones I actually fell for were always kind of wine-colored. Like this one.
Then, much to my dismay, it became hard to find both wine-colored pumps and truly purple pumps. But right now there are a number of purplish heels out there… so color me excited.
The Riley Heel from Favorite Daughter
This pump from Favorite Daughter looks great. I love the deep, winey “Bordeaux” color of the suede. It’s the shade that reads intentional in a work bag, not “I bought a costume.” The shoe is $275 at Nordstrom; you can also get it in red suede, black patent, and beige patent.
At $275 this is a splurge-tier shoe. I do the math before I commit: if I wear it regularly through the fall and winter, it works out to under $6 per wear. That’s a number I can live with for a shoe that actually goes with my closet.
Weekend Sales Worth Knowing
While I was at it, I swept up the weekend sales that were running when this was published (August 21). These move fast — check whether each one is still live before you add anything to cart.
Ann Taylor — 25% off fresh fall styles. There’s also an online-only warehouse sale: $20 tops, $25 sweaters, $30 pants, and $40 dresses.
CVS — Beauty sale, $10 off when you spend $30. Walmart is running its own “Beauty Event” at the same time.
The Fold — Up to 50% off, with further markdowns.
J.Crew — Last chance summer styles on sale.
J.Crew Factory — 8/21 only: 50% off pants and shorts, plus free shipping on all orders.
J.McLaughlin — Extra 40% off sale.
Lilysilk — Anniversary sale, save up to 70%.
Me & Em — Sale up to 60% off, with new lines just added exclusively online.
M.M.LaFleur — Lots of new pieces added to sale. Try code CORPORETTE15 for 15% off on other items.
Nordstrom Rack — Clearance with new markdowns up to 75% off. Nice selection of Vince, Veronica Beard, Reiss, and Rag & Bone, plus a ton of affordable work dresses from Calvin Klein, Maggy London, Eliza J, and Donna Morgan.
Revolve — 20% off most beauty.
Talbots — End-of-season clearance: extra 70% off markdown tops and extra 60% off other markdowns.
Theory — End-of-season sale is on.
Style Math
Riley Heel: $275 splurge tier. The suede holds, the color works with everything from black to cream. If you already own a red patent pair, this is the one that fills the gap.
FAQ
Is the Riley heel actually purple?
It’s more wine than purple — a deep Bordeaux suede. If you want true violet, this isn’t it. If you want the shade that actually pairs with a capsule wardrobe, it’s a strong candidate.
Where can I buy it?
Currently at Nordstrom for $275 in the Bordeaux suede, plus red suede, black patent, and beige patent options.
Are the sales in this post still current?
The sale list was captured on August 21. Weekend sales rotate quickly — treat the list as a starting point and verify each retailer before checkout.
A note from Maya: I keep a shoe box in the back of my closet for the heels I’m “maybe” into. This one made it out of that box. Sometimes the right shade shows up just when you stop looking for the wrong one.
Related reading: The 10-Piece Edit: Fall Capsule and How I Decide What’s Worth the Splurge.