Light brown and tan shoes are very popular especially during the summer months. However, they’re not the easiest colors to pair with your trousers with plenty of easy pitfalls.
In this guide, we will explore how to match your trousers with light brown or tan shoes with a focus on the following points:
- Light Brown Shoe Coordination Overview
- Matching Light Brown Shoes With Different Trouser Colors
- Printable Shoe & Trouser Coordination Download
The links above can help you jump ahead. Alternativel, scroll down to read it all! To learn about different color coordinations, head to menu below.
Matching Trousers With Light Brown Shoes Overview
As we learned in our article on how to coordinate dark brown shoes with various trouser colors, brown is an incredibly versatile color that every man needs in his shoe collection.
With that said, not all browns are created equal. Dark browns are great for conservative outfits, cold weather, and keeping your dressy factor up. So what’s a guy to do when he wants to be a bit more peacockish and maybe a touch more casual in the warm weather?
Throw on some light brown shoes and look in the mirror saying, “I’m good enough, I’m smart enough, and doggone it, people like me.”
It was good enough for Stuart Smalley, it’s good enough for you.
Seriously though, light brown shoes are a powerful weapon to have in your footwear arsenal. Whether caramel, British tan, or nutmeg, light brown shoes are a great starting point for the dapper man.
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 Light Brown Shoes With Different Trousers
Best Trouser Matches
These combinations are the sartorial equivalent of pairing Lagavulin 16 with a perfectly marbled Porterhouse steak: classic and classy.
Light Grey
There is no combination of colors so natty as light grey trousers with light brown shoes. Throw these on with a pink shirt in the springtime and you’ll be showered in compliments in a way that black or even dark brown shoes ever made happen.
Jeans
Jeans are hugely versatile, and they take on a whole new life when paired with a set of light brown shoes. Try a dressy shoe with a dress shirt and sport coat, or go for a more casual shoe with a sweater. Either way, the combination is very smart.
Beige
This is an instance in which it’s extremely important to pay attention to the shade of light brown. If the color of the trouser and that of the shoe are too similar, your feet will get washed out. Try going for a couple shades darker in the shoe, but still stick to the light brown family. That’ll make it work well.
Tan
Similar to beige, tan trousers and light brown shoes can wash each other out if you’re not careful.
Brown
If your pants are a darker brown, light brown shoes are one of your only options. They’ll provide needed contrast while staying in the same color family, making for a very smart combination.
Red
Light tan shoes with Nantucket red trousers are a beautiful combination. Perfect for a casual summer wedding (especially in New England), garden party, or just hanging out and looking good. Pair it with a white or blue shirt and you’re golden.
Blue
Medium blue trousers are gorgeous with light brown shoes. In fact, try British tan, an orangey-tan that pairs beautifully with blue as the colors are somewhat complementary.
White
White trousers. Tan shoes. Navy blazer. No socks. Blue shirt. Can’t miss.
Acceptable Trouser Combinations
These combinations will look good but may not be optimal depending factors such as the shade of color, seasonality, etc.
Olive
Trousers in an olive tone are generally best paired with deeper browns or even burgundy shoes, but a tan isn’t out of the question if the exact shades are right. Try a British tan, which has an orange-y tint to it.
Navy
Navy trousers will often look best with dark brown shoes. But hey, if the shade of navy is a bit lighter or if you just want some serious pop, throw on some tan shoes. This is a very popular combination and you’ll still look smart.
Dark Grey
This is not an optimal combination, as charcoal grey is often a cold-weather color and light brown shoes are a warm-weather one. Typically we would recommend a chocolate or tobacco-colored shoe, but a walnut-colored shoe will pair nicely with dark grey trousers if you decide to go that route.
No-Go’s
Black
There’s a lot of debate as to whether mixing black and light brown should be considered acceptable or not. While some people believe than tan is far enough removed from brown enough to create contrast against black, others insist that it is too unorthodox to be acceptable.
Although the choice is ultimately yours, we believe that light brown or tan should not be paired with black trousers or a suit.
Free Printable Download For Reference At Home
Feel free to download a one-page printout of these guides for your convenience so that you can use it at home!
What Next?
Now that you have read about the how to match light brown shoes with trousers, read 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
"A great guide that really helped! I was struggling with a few tan shoes in my collection and this guide really explained where the issues were. I really like tan and wanted the opportunity to wear them more."Rating: 5.0 ★★★★★
Shoe Content
Would you consider cognac a light brown? (Specifically, To Boot NY cognac)
Hi Mark,
Cognac is indeed a tough one and can vary. Sometimes it can be a light brown and on other occasions, it’s closer to burgundy.
All the best,
CP