Imagine if you could find a pair of shoes to wear with jeans that would instantly make you stand out like a Ferrari at a Lada car dealership.
Wouldn’t you want them?
Luckily, weʼre going to share with you exactly what shoes to wear with jeans in this post.
Remember, there are tons of dressy and casual men’s shoes to wear with jeans. The trick is finding your style and the shoes you feel the most comfortable in.
Contents
#1
Comfortably Climb the Corporate Ladder in Classic Sneakers
In this post at Bustle, Lara Rutherford-Morrison explains that:
“Laid-back people are actually more likely to be successful and happy.”
She says it’s because “… the human brain experiences heightened creativity when it’s relaxed”.
One way to kick stress is to give your feet a break. Simply wear comfortable, classic sneakers with jeans at home or around the office.
For a proven laid-back look, sneakers are great casual shoes to wear with jeans.
Just to be clear, we’re not talking about sports shoes, like basketball or running shoes. No need to copy the Jerry Seinfeld look from the 90s.
Here’s the reason why we recommend only wearing classic sneakers:
Wearing sports shoes with jeans sends mixed signals.
Making you look more like a dank dad than a great looking guy.
The awesome thing about the classic sneakers-with-jeans outfit: it looks good and doesn’t go out of fashion.
Hereʼs how to choose the best sneakers with jeans:
Chose classics sneakers like Chuck Taylors from Converse, the Authentic model from Vans, or tennis shoes from large brands like Gant and Hugo BOSS.
They are sneakers you can stick with for years, making it your personal signature.
Sneakers with Jeans Outfit Ideas
#2
You Can’t Step Wrong When Wearing Dress Shoes With Jeans
Most of you probably own at least one pair of dress shoes. Wearing dress shoes with jeans is so common that we couldn’t leave out this look, even though it might seem obvious.
The simplicity of open-lacing dress shoes is what makes them dressy and versatile too. These look just as much at home with a pullover, as a shirt and blazer.
If youʼre building a wardrobe from scratch and want to wear black or brown shoes with jeans, it would be wise to buy open-lacing leather dress shoes first.
Hereʼs why open-lacing is a smart choice:
There are two main types of dress shoes:
- Open-lacing
- Closed-lacing
But, only one of these is recommended to wear with jeans.
Closed-lacing shoes have the eyelets tab attached under the vamp.
Open-lacing shoes have the piece with the shoe lacing eyelets attached on top of the vamp.
Closed-lacing shoes like oxfords are very dressy. Never wear closed-lacing shoes with jeans, only with chinos and dress pants.
Open-lacing shoes, like Derbyʼs, are more versatile. You can wear these with casual and dressy pants, like jeans and suits.
Hereʼs one thing you’ll quickly realize when buying dress shoes to wear with jeans:
You’ve got several details to choose from, for example:
Dress shoes come with different toe shapes and toe options. Some of these details work better than others.
Here you can see what they look like. Also, weʼll give you our two cents on which dress shoes to wear with black jeans and blue jeans.
Picking the Right Toe Cap
When you shop for dress shoes, you’ll quickly see that decorations are common.
If you want a classic look, choose a regular toecap or a plain toe. But if you want to stand out, you have the option of apron and bicycle toes, to name the most classic.
The Best Toe Shapes
The shape of the toe itself is also a thing to consider.
Square and pointy dress shoes are too extreme for us to recommend.
Shoes with chisel toes have a hint of attitude without getting in the way. It’s a mix of the square toe and the pointy toe.
An all-around, safe option is round-toe shoes. If you’re subject to a conservative company dress code, this toe shape is the best choice.
How to Decide on Brown or Black Shoes with Jeans
As for color, you can wear black shoes with blue jeans and black shoes with black jeans.
Contrary, only wear blue jeans with brown shoes.
Do not wear brown shoes with black jeans. Why? Because black jeans with brown shoes simply don’t match.
Dress Shoes with Jeans Outift Ideas
#3
Donʼt Get Left Out In the Cold, Wear Chelsea Boots
Many men believe that they only need casual shoes and dress shoes.
But the only way to prepare your look and wardrobe for anything, is to add a third type of footwear. Footwear that can cope with rain and snow.
So if it’s pouring rain, you’ll always look more prepared in a pair of boots than in sneakers or dress shoes. And my favorite boot to wear on rainy days are Chelsea boots.
Chelsea boots have a solid pedigree and date back to the Victorian era [the mid-1800s]. These boots come in both plain and suede leather. Both are business-appropriate men’s shoes to wear with jeans.
Chelsea boots are higher than Chukkas and Desert boots – which we’ll get to in a bit. Instead of laces, Chelsea boots have elastic side panels and tabs or loops on the top of the boot shaft. The tabs make it easier to pull the Chelseaʼs on. The laceless design is excellent since it lets you take your boots on and off, fast.
The sole on Chelsea boots are also different from the sole on Desert boots. As with dress-shoe soles, Chelsea soles are made of either stained leather or rubber.
The dark sole gives a dressier look than white soles, such as those of Desert boots.
A dark sole also makes footwear easier to take care of. Why? Because you don’t have to worry about accidentally staining the sole while polishing your boots.
Chelsea Boots with Jeans Outfit Ideas
#4
Handle Harsher Climates in Tough Open-Lacing Boots
If you live in a colder, wetter part of the world, buying low-top shoes to wear with jeans might seem as foreign to you as a night of “Netflix and chill” is to a monk.
Here’s the problem with living in harsh climates:
Your footwear must be able to withstand deep puddles and inches of snow on your commute. But you shouldn’t look like Bear Grylls while doing so – if you want to look less savage and more civilized.
What you need to do is:
Improvise. Adapt. Overcome.
Open-lacing boots are perfect for this.
They’re basically Derby shoes with a high shaft. They keep your feet warm and dry without raising eyebrows at the office.
Open Lacing Boots with Jeans Outfit Ideas
#5
Chukka Boots: The Perfect Footwear for Crisp Days
What if it’s not snowing or raining but getting cold out? Chukka boots are also great shoes to wear with jeans.
Chukka boots are the perfect spring and autumn boot. Chukkas feel cooler than open-lacing boots. And unlike sneakers or loafers – which we’ll talk about next – Chukka boots pair well with coats and jackets.
Chukkas usually have two to three pairs of eyelets, a plain or suede leather upper, and a thin leather or rubber sole.
This boot’s ankle-high design makes it fantastic to wear around laid-back clients. It’s also a favorite footwear choice of many men who frequent happy hour for drinks after work.
Chukka Boots with Jeans Outfit Ideas
#6
Have the World at Your Feet in Business-Appropriate Leather Loafers
Are you going someplace new and don’t know what footwear to choose?
Well, then our tip is always: wear leather loafers.
Here’s why leather loafers are the perfect casual shoes for men to wear with jeans:
These casual slip-on shoes are perfect for hot, dry days. You won’t have to worry about breaking any dress codes in leather loafers either. This business-appropriate, yet casual shoes, work just as well at the office as they do when youʼre off the clock.
The three most common styles of leather loafers are horsebit, tassel, and penny loafers.
Horsebit loafers are the dressiest. Penny loafers are the most low-key and tassel loafers are the most casual of the three.
Leather Loafer with Jeans Outfit Ideas
#7
Instantly Get in a Relaxed Mood with Boat Shoes
The best thing about a day or week off, is not to have your boss breathing down your neck.
According to this post at Brain Fodder:
“Science says that the clothes we wear affect our behavior, attitudes, personality, mood, confidence, and even the way we interact with others.”
Enclothed cognition is what we call the effect our clothes have on our mood.
We at Apparel Illustrated use enclothed cognition all the time. One of our favorite ways to get into a casual mood in the summer, is to slip on a pair of casual shoes with jeans. And the best casual shoes for men to wear with jeans are boat shoes.
Boat shoes are as casual as canvas loafers — which we’ll get to next — but preppier.
As the name implies, boat shoes were initially worn in marine environments. A non-slip sole and leather upper make them perfect for wet conditions.
Today, boat shoes are classic casual wear, no longer reserved for the docks. This shoe style also looks good with pinrolled jeans if the occasion requires something extra laid-back.
And because of that, boat shoes are one of the best casual menʼs shoes to wear with jeans.
#8
Possibly the Most Convenient Shoes to Wear With Jeans – Canvas Loafers
How many times a day do you run short errands, fetch the mail, go to grab some take-out, or take out the trash?
Wouldn’t it be nice to have a pair of shoes that are super-easy to put on and take off? Shoes that are also affordable, casual, and comfortable to wear with jeans?
If this is your case, then canvas loafers might be your white knight.
You see, canvas loafers are casual. They also offer the convenience of slip-on styling, unlike sneakers.
Unless youʼre around a pool or at the beach, flip-flops arenʼt acceptable to wear in public. But canvas loafers are. Also, canvas loafers don’t cost that much more, and the canvas material lets your feet breathe.
Canvas Loafers with Jeans Outift Ideas
#9
Timeless Desert Boots Won’t Leave You Stranded
Have you ever bought a pair of shoes, only to discover soon after that they’ve already become outdated?
You want to find footwear you can wear for years without fearing sneers.
Fortunately, Nicolas over at KINOWEAR has some good news for busy individuals like you and me. He writes:
“… it’s always the most simple and effective items of clothing which have withstood the changing fashions of time. The Desert boot is a perfect example of this winning combination.“
The shoe company C. & J. Clark. started producing this shoe in the 1950s. And to this day, the winning design of the Desert boot remains true to the original.
Desert boots are similar to Chukka boots, which we just looked at. Yet, unlike Chukkas, Desert boots always have suede uppers and a rubber sole. The latter are also unlined and often lighter in weight.
This makes the simple, yet classic Desert boot, the safest pair of casual boots to wear with jeans.
#10
Monkstraps: The Perfect Alternative to Dress Shoes
Jim Kass is vice president of operations at Allen Edmonds shoe company.
Kass says in this article from Business Insider:
“The best way to extend the life of your shoes is to rotate your shoes and use quality shoe trees after each wear.“
He continues:
“If you wear the same pair every day, your shoes don’t have ample time to dry and they won’t maintain their shape.“
If you’ve ever worn dress shoes, you get that they need rest.
The only problem with only wearing dress shoes for just one day is this:
What shoes should you wear on the other days?
Well, this is where the monkstraps come to the rescue.
Rotating your footwear shows that you’re comfortable with many shoe styles. It also shows that you take care of your wardrobe.
Monkstraps are as dressy as classic dress shoes, mentioned earlier. Also, the unique design of monkstraps makes your style look more interesting.
We distinguish between single- and double-buckle monkstraps.
If you’ll be wearing these to meetings and conferences, here’s my advice:
Wear double-buckle monkstraps. These are dressier shoes to wear with jeans than the more laid-back, single-buckle type.
But if you’ll be wearing this look on private occasions, you should know that single-buckle monkstraps are lighter and more flexible to walk in.
Monkstraps with Jeans Outfit Ideas
#11
Get the Look and Aura of a Greek God in Sandals
Do you want to wear jeans but youʼre dealing with sore feet after walking in your new leather loafers?
What you need is footwear thatʼs comfortable and doesnʼt suffocate your feet.
Sandals with jeans are a great combo for casual occasions and days off.
The most common and best sandal to wear with jeans are buckle sandals.
Many hate on sandals. This hate is often spurred by wearing them inappropriately.
Sandals are a summer leisure footwear. Therefore, never wear them with dressy clothes, jackets or coats. Occasions that arenʼt leisurely are also out of the question.
To avoid hate when wearing sandals, wear them in the right context and with the right outfit.
#12
Give Your Feet the Supercar Experience with Driving Moccasins
Did you know that Italian racing drivers
They used them to get extra grip and dexterity while accelerating, breaking and clutching. Making it easier to go fast through needle pin turns on the Italian Riviera.
Today, driving mocs have become a favorite amongst fashionistas, jet-setters, and influencers. You certainly donʼt need an Italian supercar in your garage to wear these anymore.
Driving mocs have a flexible sole that extends up onto the heel. An area that is in constant contact with the floor mat of the car.
The sole also comes in two different styles.
Rubber-dotted:
These have a uniform covering of small, round rubber tabs.
Separated Pad:
These have larger, flat rubber pads separated by only small areas.
Which one you wear is up to you. All we know is that driving mocs and jeans is a true and tried casual jeans outfit.
#13
Make Killer First Impressions in Brogues
As the cliche goes, you only get one chance to make a killer first impression.
But get this:
Finding business-appropriate shoes to wear with jeans has never been easier.
If we at Apparel Illustrated could wear only one type of shoe other than dress shoes, it would be a brogue shoe.
Brogue shoes are not just for chinos and suits. Believe it or not —they are in fact perfect shoes to wear with jeans.
Brogues perforated embellishments are what distinguishes them. The degree of decoration ranges from a few details on the toecap, to full decoration from toe to heel.
It doesn’t matter that Brogues are as foreign to you as frozen foods are to Gordon Ramsey. You’ll serve a killer first impression when you wear brogue shoes with jeans.
We have four different types of Brogues:
Quarter Brogues, half Brogues, full Brogues, and long-wings.
- Quarter Brogues features decorations on toecap rim, upper and heelpiece.
- Half Brogues have decoration on the toecap and along the rim of the upper and heelpiece.
- Full Brogues, or wingtips, have toecap decorations that extend back to the middle of the shoe. This creates what looks like wings. These shoes are also decorated along the sides of the upper and heelpiece.
- Longwing Brogues have a toecap decoration that extends and wraps all the way around the heel of the shoe. Also, the upper has decoration along the rim.
Brogue Shoes with Jeans Outfit Ideas
Now you know what kind of shoes to wear with jeans.
Did you find your favorite shoe type? If you did, make sure to mention it in the comments field below. Iʼd love to hear your opinion. Also, please make sure to leave any questions or feedback you have below.