Jeans are undoubtedly the most popular trousers worn by both men and women around the world. Although they come in various shades, it can be confusing as to what shoe colors best suit jeans if you’re looking to match them properly.
Fortunately, this guide will help you learn how to match your shoes with jeans. Use the following links to jump ahead:
- Jeans Coordination Overview
- Matching Jeans With Different Shoe Colors
- Printable Shoe & Trouser Coordination Download
Alternatively, scroll down to read it all! If you want to learn about different shoe or trouser color coordinations, head to menu below.
Matching Shoes With Jeans Overview
Many blogs like ours are dedicated to tailored menswear, and the lion’s share of our focus is certainly on that subject.
We also pride ourselves on having a real-world sensibility, and in the real world, men wear jeans frequently. They’re ubiquitous, often inexpensive, sometimes comically expensive, and here to stay. Icons of Men’s Style has an entire chapter dedicated to denim.
As men can often wear these to the office nowadays, it’s important to know how to pair shoes with them. For the purposes of this article, we are referring to blue jeans: that range of washes ranging from light to dark, but still blue.
There are many other colors on the market and we’d be happy to answer any questions you leave in the comments section below.
NOTE: There are exceptions to every rule.
Use your good judgement, and feel free to leave us a comment if you have questions!
Read on for full explanations and reasoning of the above coordination suggestions. Or, click here to go see our Ultimate Shoe & Trouser Color Coordination Matrix showcasing how to match any color shoes with any color trousers.
How To Coordinate Jeans With Different Shoes
Best Shoe Matches
Beige
During the summertime, one of my favorite personal combinations is a pair of medium-light jeans with suede beige bluchers (the color is referred to as “milkshake”). This looks particularly good with no-show socks and a simple shirt.
Black
If you’re going to wear black shoes with jeans, we recommend that the jeans be dark. Light denim will take to black shoes, but a lighter-colored shoe will work better. Also, keep this combination to the evening hours.
Burgundy
If we’re talking about burgundy dress shoes, keep the denim dark. If we’re talking about a more casual shoe, you can wear a lighter shade of blue jean. Either way, this color combination is extremely handsome.
Dark Brown
Follow the same rule as above with burgundy shoes. Dark brown shoes function similarly and offer the same level of refinement.
Green
Green shoes are available in dress lasts and casual lasts. If your denim is well-tailored and dark, feel free to put on some loden green dressier shoes. If it’s lighter and more casual, throw on some green drivers in a lighter shade.
Grey
Grey shoes look gorgeous with darker denim. It gets a little washed out with lighter denim, though, so be selective about the jeans you pick.
Light Brown
Jeans with light brown shoes is one of my personal favorite things to wear. It works best in warmer weather, especially if it’s a more casual shoe. With that said, light brown dress shoes absolutely shine with darker denim.
Orange
If it’s a burnt orange or sienna, they’ll work similarly to light brown shoes with jeans. If it’s a brighter orange, make it a casual shoe and keep the rest of the outfit reasonably simple in terms of color.
Purple
Purple shoes with jeans is a great combination. It works particularly well with a lighter-colored denim, but dark jeans can take well to deeper purples. You’d be wise to throw a purple accessory or two in there for some continuity.
Red
Red shoes will be inherently casual, think boat shoes, drivers, and the like. Keep the jeans casual by selecting a lighter wash, and don’t overdress on top. Driving shoes with ties are not necessarily bad, but it’s easy to miss the mark.
White
Like many of these colorful combinations, white shoes are for warm weather only. They will pop like crazy against dark denim (a fun look) and provide an unorthodox backdrop for lighter jeans.
That said, don’t wear white “dad” sneakers, even if you’re an actual dad.
Acceptable Shoe Matches
Navy
Navy shoes are the one color you need to really be careful about with jeans. Dark blue shoes require a lighter denim to truly work, so keep that in mind when making your selections.
No-Go Shoe Matches
Nothing is off limits with jeans as far as we’re concerned.
Free Printable Download For Reference At Home
Don’t hesitate to download your own copy of the printable download below!
What Next?
Now that you have read about the how to match jeans with shoes, check out some related guides below:
- Shoe & Trouser Coordination Homepage
- Top 10 Best Men’s Dress Shoes
- Most Comfortable Dress Shoes For Men
- Bespoke Unit Shoe Homepage
"Superb guide for jeans! I couldn't find one that was as specific as this guide. Thanks for taking the time to do this."Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
Shoe Content
Huge fan of the site! You’re information has helped me put together some amazing combos (and avoided some tragedies!)
My question is, what are the rules for black jeans. I read that matching burgandy shoes with black trousers is a no-go. Do those rules still apply to black jeans?
Dear Joe,
Thanks for reaching out, and for your kind words.
Here is our page for black trousers: https://bespokeunit.com/shoes/trouser-coordination/black-trousers/
You’re correct re our standard recommendation on black not going well with burgundy.
These guides are a very solid starting point, but there are typically exceptions to most rules. What we would look for is high contrast between the trousers and shoes (or match with black – black in this case). Also it depends on what event / level of formality you’re going for. If you fancy yourself as an eccentric and want to stand out, the “rules” can go out of the window, if however you’re going to a job interview then maybe stick with the basics.
As a last thought, if the black jeans are more of a wash, approaching grey then it might be an “easier” match (see: https://bespokeunit.com/shoes/trouser-coordination/light-grey-trousers/).
Hope that helps, and sometimes the only way to truly find out is try on these possible ensembles, take a picture and send to a trusted sartorial adviser for a gut check.
All the best,
– Paul Anthony
What of combinations with black and grey jeans? For example, will beige shoes go on a black or grey colored jeans?
Hi Wemcy,
You can refer to our guides for black and grey shoes for these! Those pages will still apply.
Best,
CP
Great information on your site, thank you for your help
Ray
You’re very welcome!
I’m always stuck on what matches different colors (washes) of jeans? i.e. light/medium/dark wash jeans. Any help with this?
Would light grey snekerss look good with dark denim?
Hey Ayush,
It depends on the denim and the sneakers, but grey sneakers would likely pair fantastically with dark denim. For reference, here are our guides on matching navy pants and grey shoes:
https://bespokeunit.com/shoes/trouser-coordination/navy-blue-trousers/
https://bespokeunit.com/shoes/trouser-coordination/grey-shoes/
Rafael
This article has made matching shoes with trousers so much easier for me. I have a beige shoe with me and if I may ask then would beige shoes look good with dark wash jeans?
Hey Tamesh,
Love hearing that you’ve found value in this guide! Regarding your specific question about dark wash jeans and beige shoes, I do believe this could work but it will really depend on the particular tone of the jeans, the shoes, and the rest of the outfit. I say try it out with different shirts and see if you like how the outfits look.
Rafael