What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

Short answer: yes, you can wear black pants and brown shoes together, but keep a few things in mind. Brown shoes elicit more personality and modern sensibility than standard black shoes but still look professional and appropriate for the workplace.

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However pairing brown shoes with the rest of your wardrobe can be tricky, especially with black.

While browns are neutral, there are many different shades and hues. They don’t naturally harmonize the way a blue suit and brown shoes do or match the way black pants and black shoes do. Here are four rules for how to pair them.

Rules for Better Black Pant and Brown Shoes Pairings

What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

1. Avoid the Near-Match Clash of Dark Brown Shoes.

Ever wear two colors that are almost but not quite the same? It instantly makes an outfit look sloppy, no matter how well-put-together the rest of the look is.

Unfortunately, this applies to shoes as well. Dark brown is nearly black, but not quite. Pair your dark brown shoes with blue pants instead.

What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

2. Focus on Contrast With Lighter Brown or Tan Shoes.

This is a good time to bring out lighter brown or dark tan shoes. They show that the pairing is intentional, not that you got dressed in the dark and didn’t notice.

This can also be a good way to break up the standard black shoe, black pants monotony. Look for cognac, tan, or camel browns.

What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

3. Consider the Occasion and Keep it Casual.

A general fashion rule of thumb is the lighter the shoe, the more casual. Brown shoes give your outfit an informal feel so play that up rather than try to force the look to be formal.

Black chinos or jeans are a good example of casual pants, for shoes, think chukka boots or retro skate sneakers. If you’re going formal, stick with black shoes.

What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

4. Match with Brown Accessories.

To further reinforce that the black/brown pairing is intentional, consider pairing your brown shoes with matching leather accessories. Adding a matching brown watch band, belt or bag will tie the look together.

According to Primer Magazine, cufflinks and tie bars are also some accessories that will elevate your outfit. Pay attention to details and consider adding a pocket square too.

5. Wear Brown Shoes With a Navy Shirt.

The look of black pants with brown shoes will look incredible if you pair it with a navy blue or a white shirt.

These are all in the same color palette and will make the entire outfit look intentionally stylish.

If you are worried about your navy blue shirt clashing with your black pants, don’t be. It’s widely accepted that navy blue and black go perfectly together.

A Fashionable Pair: Brown Shoes and Black Pants

It’s possible to pull this off. Lots of men choose to wear brown shoes with grey pants or navy blue ones.

But if you want, you can wear them with black pants too. Just follow the simple tips in this article and you’ll always look dapper!

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

It’s easy to think that as a professional man it’s easy to dress, but when you get into it, there are a lot of things to consider. One such consideration is wearing dress shoes with jeans. It sounds like a strange combination, but if you follow our advice, you can pull it off like a champ!

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

Threading this particular needle and keeping all the moving parts working in tandem to achieve a look of casual elegance doesn’t require much, but if you go out there without a plan, then you’re going to be found wanting by women, business partners, fashion mavens, and those who know how to put together a snappy ensemble. When you’re ready for the ultimate in business casual, all you need is this guide to wearing a pair of dress shoes with jeans.

1. Always Wear Socks

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

First off, a lot of guys try to go completely sockless when they go for this look and it is a failure each time. You’re not wearing a pair of boat shoes. You’re trying to enhance your casual look to include more style, not less. Wearing no socks, or no-show socks says one thing: I put on whatever shoes happened to be closest. It speaks of sloth and laziness which negates the look entirely.

2. Rule of Socks: No Black, No White

Gleaming white socks are little better than going sockless, as they declare in sterling ivory splendor: I just grabbed whatever was at the top of my drawer! This isn’t a pick-up basketball game, so leave the white tube or crew socks out of the rotation.

Pure black socks go too far in the other direction. They claim you wanted to dress nicely, but your slacks were in the laundry, so you went with jeans. Black is too formal, while white is too casual.

The answer here is to go with a pattern. Frankly, bright neon pink is better than choosing white or black, because it says you had to make a choice to put those on. Go splashy, have fun, be ridiculous, just don’t make it look like you went with the basic options.

3. Get the Right Jean Cut

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

A set of smart shoes doesn’t work with just any cut of jeans. If you go with a relaxed or loose-cut pair of jeans, they’re going to be too blousy. Dress shoes make your feet appear smaller, which means you need to mitigate how much fabric spills out over them. Get a pair of slim-fitting or regular-fit jeans. You want them to be close at the waist and hips with minimal puffing down the legs.

Boot-cut jeans aren’t great, but if you’re going with a higher dress boot, you might be able to pull it off. Use with caution.

4. Jean Color Requirements

Darker is almost always better when you’re looking to pair dress shoes with jeans. Indigo tends to be ideal, with navy and black going neck and neck for a spot in second place. Since such shoes tend to be darker, the lighter your jeans are, the more your footwear looks out of place.

5. Make Your Shoes Contrast

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

You never want to be wearing a pair of black jeans with black shoes, because it then looks like you’re trying to match them. A minimal amount of contrast is necessary to land this look. Camel shoes or a rich brown go with almost any jeans, particularly those in the lighter set. Since you should be going dark with your jeans, black shoes can be questionable. Just make sure they aren’t too close in color to the bottom of your jeans and you’ll walk out a winner.

Check out our complete guide to matching clothes.

6. Jeans to Avoid

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

Do not even try to pull off the distressed jeans look, those with holes, or battered gear you just wore to the dog park. As with socks, the worse your jeans look, the more it seems like your shoes were an afterthought, not an intentional maneuver.

Here’s a visual guide to 40 types of jeans to help you out.

7. Don the Proper Shirt

From the soles of your feet to your waist, you’ve gone to the trouble of telling two different tales. The shirt is what is going to help tie these together. A hoodie, a tee-shirt, or a jersey sides with the jeans and will drag you into the purely casual tier. A polo is the least you can do, with a dress shirt highly preferred. Untuck it if you want to prove you’re off the clock.

Related Reading: Best Men’s Dress Shirts

8. Consider a Jacket

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

Generally speaking, a jacket is the ultimate way to top off the formal shoes and jeans attire choice. Wearing a sport coat with jeans proves you’re paying attention to what you wear, and if it blends with your shirt and shoes, then you’ve just managed to combine all the disparate aspects, just like a man of style should. Have a scotch, winner.

9. Simplify Your Accessories

The jeans say you’re not trying too hard, and your accessories should tell the same story. As using a sweatshirt pushes you too deep into casual territory, throwing on cufflinks, a pocket square, a tie with clip, a vest, and a hat can suddenly drag you too far into the boardroom world, making the jeans look like a mistake. You should have a belt that matches your shoes, and hats are rarely a mistake with this look. Pocket squares should be kept to the barest minimum if used at all. Ties should be casual, usually woven with a square base, or left off entirely.

This is highly dependent on the person, so play around with different bits and bobs until you’re sure you’ve found the right balance of smooth and playful.

10. Buy for Your Build

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

As stated above, dress shoes are going to make your feet seem smaller, which can kill this whole guise for bigger chaps. Slimming down the jeans helps, but you might also need to bulk up the shoes as best you can. Consider going a size larger if necessary so as to avoid looking like you have mincing little feet being hidden by jeans. Cuffing your jeans can help with this, should you have the length to do so. Consult a tailor if all else fails.

11. Reduce the Shine

Whatever else you do, avoid having shoes that sparkle like they’ve been spit-shined and polished while your drill instructor stands over you. When you combine dress shoes with jeans, you’re aiming at semi-casual, so don’t turn your feet into a high-powered luncheon while your legs are looking for a stool at the pub. They need to flow together to create a complete look. The more your shoes and jeans seem to be at odds, the more you look like a tacky sot.

12. Choose Your Shoes Wisely

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

In addition to knowing the right color combination of jeans and shoes, getting your style right is half the battle. Oxford shoes are mostly overkill, as are wingtips. Loafers can be perfect with the right set of smashing, patterned socks, and monk straps are absolute killers that tend to also look bulky. Brogues and derbies can make the grade, particularly if you wear them with a cuff. A matte finish is generally the way to go, or a brushed rather than truly shiny polish that glows instead of sparkles.

So now that you know what to do, how will you execute your sartorial plan? Will you dig those old formal shoes you bought for a funeral out of the closet, hoping to hop into a fly business casual? Or will you put your money where your mouth is, and invest in a proper pair of modern shoes?

The choice is ultimately yours, but keep in mind that comparison shopping can suck. That’s why we’ve done some of the legwork for you, with these three outstanding men’s formalshoes:

Velasca – Spazzacamin

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

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The Spazzacamin classic black leather shoes by Velasca are a fantastic pairing with jeans. Velasca combined design elements of brogues and Derbys to create their Spazzacamin shoe.

An ideal shoe for both formal or casual ensembles, the full-grain leather Spazzacamin has a durable Vibram rubber sole. If you’re only to have one smart shoe in your collection, then you can’t go wrong with a classic black leather pair. Velasca also created the Spazzacamin in smooth calf leather and suede calf leather for alternative looks. 

The low-cut design will sit stylishly under jeans or formal pant legs. 

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MYRQVIST – Smogen Black Calf

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

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Laces aren’t for everyone, and if you’re looking for a more streamlined shoe, a penny loafer will be just it. 

MYRQVIST designed their Smogen apron fronted penny loafers in four classic colors to suit all trouser patterns and styles. You can dress their simple yet incredibly smart design up or down to compliment any occasion.

The company crafted the shoes from full-grain calf leather and finished the heel caps with leather board. They wanted their shoes to be durable and comfortable, lasting their wearers for years to come.

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Lennertson – The Brawler in Brown

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What to wear with brown shoes and jeans

On the hunt for a full coverage yet straightforward dress shoe? Well, the Lennertson The Brawler in Brown’s could be the ones for you. 

Lennertson designed The Brawler with a minimal pattern, so your eyes are drawn to the shoe’s distinctive shape. The medium to dark brown leather has a slightly red undertone that makes the shoes look rugged. An excellent match for formal or casual events. 

The company uses high-quality European leather to create shoes that are built to last. Lennertson included a cork footbed that molds to your specific shoe shape for ultimate comfort over time. Also available in black, The Brawlers are a classic shoe that’ll never go out of style.

Conclusion

Now that you’ve got the basics covered, it’s up to you to assemble a style that is uniquely you. Knowing the rules gives you leeway to break them–so long as it’s purposeful and you put the appropriate amount of thought into your outfit.

Do you have any other insights on how to wear dress shoes with jeans that we might include in a future update? Drop us a comment below!

What goes with brown shoes and jeans?

Pair Brown Shoes with Dark Jeans Brown shoes and blue jeans are a mutual match given their neutral coloring, so don't think twice about wearing the two together. Add a white or navy knit tee or Oxford or bring in some seasonal color with a printed button-up or fall-inspired polo. —Laurie H.

Is it OK to wear brown shoes with jeans?

Black, in general, is the most formal shoe color. Since we've established denim is inherently casual, it should follow that pairing black shoes and jeans is hard-and, especially, black dress shoes and jeans. So, to keep the formality in the same ballpark, look to wear brown dress shoes with your jeans most often.

What outfits do brown shoes go with?

Essentially, you're going for a somewhat warm and natural color palette. Although they aren't technically earth tones, brown dress shoes can also be worn with almost any shade of blue, gray, and white. A navy suit, medium blue suit, light gray suit, or even a charcoal suit can work with brown shoes.

Do brown shoes and blue jeans go together?

For a rugged, yet modern way to style your favorite pair of blue jeans, dark brown shoes are always a winner. Perfect for winter, this shoe color is at its best when combined with a jacket or coat.