Today we’re talking about what shoes to wear with wide leg jeans! Wide leg jeans are comfy and modern, but if you’ve ever stood in front of the mirror wondering “Why do I look so frumpy?” you’re definitely not alone. There are several things to nail when it comes to looking good in wide leg jeans, and one of them is wearing the right shoes! So, let’s talk about which shoes look good with wide leg jeans.
But, before we jump into shoes, there are a few other things that are CRUCIAL to looking good in wide leg jeans.
First, don’t miss my post How to Look Good in Wide Leg Jeans: Tips for Finding the Right Pair—because no shoe will look good if the wide leg jeans you’re wearing are wrong to begin with! If you haven’t read that post yet, definitely check it out first!
Second, the tops you choose are just as important as the shoes! Also check out my post How to Wear Wide Leg Jeans: Styling Tips & Outfit Ideas, where I break it all down for you so that you can as confident as possible in wide leg jeans!
Why It Can Be Tricky to Pick the Right Shoes
Wide leg jeans add so much fabric that it can easily feel like you’re getting drowned out by your clothes. A lot of PMT readers say they feel frumpy in them.
Both the top AND the shoes you choose play major factor in looking good in wide leg jeans. (And for those, MAKE SURE to see my two posts linked above about wide leg jeans!)
When it comes to what shoes to wear with wide leg jeans, though, there’s good news! You actually have a TON of options and can look great in SO many different shoes — but you MUST look for the right qualities in shoes.
So, I’ll walk through a few things to be mindful of when shopping for shoes for wide leg jeans. Then, I’ll show you plenty of examples of all the different kinds of shoes you can wear with wide leg jeans!
SIZING: I’m 5’6″ and usually S/M or 6 in clothes and 8.5 to 9 in shoes.
Shoe Goals When Trying to Figure Out What Shoes to Wear With Wide Leg Jeans
First, let’s talk through big picture goals that I want you aim for when it comes to shoes for wide leg jeans. This helps you know what to look for when shoe shopping.
1. Look to elongate your leg line and frame to balance the extra width added from wide leg jeans.
2. Avoid letting your feet get swallowed up by fabric. This can make it look like you’re overwhelmed by your clothes, which often leads to feeling frumpy and dowdy.
3. To look more polished, wear shoes that add sharpness and structure. Shoes are the punctuation mark to outfits. They can turn a look from clunky to sharp in an instant — and I’ll show you what I mean by this soon.
Now, let’s talk specifically about what to look for in shoes to achieve these things!
What to Look for in Shoes for Wide Leg Jeans
1. Go for an elongated toe box
This instantly helps extend your leg line and lengthen your frame, which is super important to counterbalance all the width that wide leg jeans add.
It doesn’t have to mean a pointy toe! Almond, square, and even some rounded toe shoes can all work, as long as they don’t disappear under the hem. And yes, this includes sneakers! See the pic above for examples of a variety of shoes that have longer toe boxes.
2. Try a heel (but don’t worry if you’re Team Flats)
Personally, I’m team flats — I wear flats 95% of the time. But, it’s important to note that heels are very helpful in extending your leg line. So, if your outfit feels “off,” try adding a subtle heel or platform to extend your leg line even more. You don’t always have to wear a heel. It’s just another tool in your toolbox to looking good in wide leg jeans.
3. Try shoes with a thicker sole
This is another option, not a must. A chunkier sole, like a platform sneaker or lug sole boot, can help balance out the volume of wide leg jeans, especially in casual looks, and especially with full-length wide leg jeans.
More Tips for Troubleshooting What Shoes to Wear With Wide Leg Jeans
Even after following all the tips, you might still feel like your shoes aren’t working. Here’s why:
Your jeans might be too wide.
Not all wide leg jeans are created equal. Some are SUPER wide while others are more moderate. A narrower cut often works better with more types of shoes. A wider cut means its easier for your feet to look swallowed up, for your leg line to get cut off, and for you to feel frumpy.
Switch to ankle-length wide leg jeans.
This solves the “foot-swallowed-by-fabric” issue completely. They work great with boots and sandals and show off your shoes more clearly. (I’ll show you examples below.)
Shoes That Work With Wide Leg Jeans: Outfit Examples
Remember, you’ll have SO MANY shoe options that look good — IF you stick to the things we just talked about. Now I’ll show you examples and talk about why they work.
1. Lifestyle Sneakers with an extended toe box
Lifestyle sneakers pair effortlessly with wide leg jeans. The key is to find lifestyle sneakers that have the elongated toe box.
The pair I’m wearing in the second and third outfits is only $20! Several women in the PMT Style Club have them and love them! One note is that while the footbed is cushioned, it doesn’t rebound well, so I prefer to wear them with my own shoe insert. (You can find tons of shoe insert options HERE to find ones that meet your needs.) This sneaker comes in lots of colorways, and it’s an affordable way to try out different styles! See them all HERE. I wear size 8.5.
Any sneaker in a style similar to these work, and there are plenty options like that. I’ve rounded up a bunch at the bottom of this post!
BTW, the first pair of blue jeans is SOOOOOOOOOOO comfortable, by the way!! They’re incredibly soft, super-duper stretchy, and extra comfortable with an elastic waistband! Find them HERE. I’m wearing size 6.
Also, the corduroy vest is so cute and warm! It comes in several colors, HERE. I wear size S.
2. Square Toe Mary Jane Flats
Mary Jane flats with a square toe are modern and make outfits look current. They’re also easy shoes to wear with wide leg jeans! The square toe elongates the leg line and adds that sharper element, all in one.
The pairs I’m wearing are no longer available, but there’s another pair that is super popular and look great!
These jeans are the same SUPER COMFORTABLE jeans that I shared above, btw. They can be dressed up and down easily!
3. Sandals
When warm weather rolls around, sandals pair so easily with wide leg jeans. The exposed toes automatically elongate your leg line. You can wear them with both full-length and ankle-length jeans. But remember, if your jeans are SUPER wide, then your feet might get swallowed up in them. If that’s the case, you can either go for a narrower wide leg jean, OR you can wear a super wide jean that’s ankle-length. The shorter hem will automatically expose your foot and elongate your leg line.
4. Pointed Toe Flats
Of course, pointed toe flats work really well with wide leg jeans. They elongate the leg line AND add that sharpness to polish off your outfit.
What Boots to Wear With Wide Leg Jeans
Okay, let’s get into boots! Wearing boots with jeans can be a tough puzzle to figure out all around*, but wide leg jeans are actually the easiest to work with when it comes to boots.
*See my post How to Wear Ankle Boots With Different Cuts of Jeans for all the help with boots and jeans!
There are always LOTS of questions asking things like what boots to wear with crop jeans in the winter, or how to wear ankle boots with crop jeans so that your ankles are covered.
YES, you can absolutely wear ankle boots in the winter AND have your ankles covered. The main thing to look for is boots that have a shaft that hits above your ankles by 2 or more inches. With a taller shaft like this, your ankles will stay covered, even in ankle-length jeans. For more visual examples and a detailed walk-through of this, see my post How to Wear Ankle Boots With Different Cuts of Jeans.
Below I’ll show you different types of boots paired with ankle-length jeans and with longer jeans.
5. Pointed Toe Boots
This style of boot is my go-to dressy option for anything, but especially for what shoes to wear with wide leg jeans. It works with nearly any dressy outfit, and here it is with wide leg jeans and pants. The pointed toe sharpens up outfits and is especially great with wide legs pants!
Here I’m wearing ankle-length jeans, but you can see that that my ankles are still covered, thanks to a boot that has a tall shaft. 🙌🏽
There are similar boots in the collection at the bottom of this post.
6. Square Toe Boots
Square toe boots are another excellent shoe choice with wide leg jeans because the sharper toe shape adds polish — without being totally pointy.
I’m wearing ankle-length jeans in both the second and third outfits, and again, my ankles are covered thanks to boots with a taller shaft.
One of my favorite boots at the moment is the pair of waterproof heeled boots that I’m wearing in the second pic. They are a dressier option that is water resistant, so you never have to worry about having to change your outfit or ruin your shoes when it’s wet outside. Also, the boots have a tall shaft that keeps your ankles covered, even if you’re wearing ankle length jeans! Find them HERE. I’m wearing size 9.
7. Almond Toe Boots
I love almond toe boots as my daily elevated casual boot. They’re dressier than a chunky round toe and pair better with blouses and nice tops, but they’re not as dressy as pointed toe shoes. An almond toe is a fantastic in-between style.
8. Lug Sole Boot
For super casual outfits, a lug sole boot is fun to pair with wide leg jeans. Like I mentioned, sometimes a substantial sole helps balance out the extra fabric from wide leg jeans. That said, it does create a much more casual and chunky look, so I prefer to wear lug sole boots with other super casual elements, and pieces that have a weightier feel.
One example of a piece with a weightier feel is this corduroy vest. Corduroy has a heavier-looking texture, so it looks good balanced with the heavier look of lug soles. This vest is cozy and warm, BTW! Comes in several colors, HERE. I’m wearing size S.
Other good options would be a slightly oversized sweatshirt or chunky sweater.
My boots are no longer available in this color, but a handful of other colorways are available HERE.
Shop Shoes for Wide Leg Jeans
If you’ve been trying to figure out what shoes to wear with wide leg jeans, I’ve got you! Here are several shoes that work with wide leg jeans. You can wear them effortlessly!
Shop My Outfits
Below you can shop my outfits from this post!
Whew, that was a lot! I hope these tips you figure out what shoes to wear with wide leg jeans and that you’re able to wear them super easily and feel good!
Also, if you’d like further help styling wide leg jeans, DEFINITELY check out my posts How to Look Good in Wide Leg Jeans: Tips for Finding the Right Pair and What to Wear With Wide Leg Jeans. That’ll set you up for the most success!
If you’d like further help with jeans and shoes, you can find detailed breakdowns in my blog post How to Wear Ankle Boots With Different Cuts of Jeans.
Last, if you’d like more personalized help figuring out how to look good in wide leg jeans, join us in the PMT Style Club! We do ALL THINGS STYLE there, including giving you personal style advice, answering allllll of your questions, and giving you the tools and frameworks you need to feel put together SIMPLY and with ease each day. Learn more here and join!
