I have to apologize in advance to my back and my bank account. With these butterscotch cork confections, Lanvin is about to kill both – and I’m going to let them do it with a smile on my face. Is it worth the pain and price? Hell, yeah!

In fact, these dangerous beauties will go with everything in my closet – they are neutral, casual, and not trend specific. Not that that helps my case, since I certainly won’t be wearing these everyday or even all day long when I do. But a classic shoe like this has staying power, and that helps me justify breaking the bank. On a side note, when did cork and leather become more expensive than gold?

I guess shoe love doesn’t have to make sense. These have all the elements that make me say, “yes, please!” Sly slits on the wedge makes cork stand out, and the whipstitching is a genius touch. A detail like that (along with the unfussy snap closure on the strap) makes it possible to wear a mega-hot shoe during the day without looking out of place. Sky-high as these are, these pumps exude super-easy effortlessness, made to enhance your everyday wardrobe without forcing your to over-think when it comes to coordinating. On Luisa Via Roma for $1,545

Pair with: Nothing says casual daytime glamour like a pair of tip-top wedges and a polished pair of shorts. Stella McCartney’s bright deckchair-striped shorts have the tailoring of a trouser and the vivaciousness of fun summer gear. On Net-a-Porter for $825.