Kayla Young
There are tons of different shoe and boot styles that black jeans look great with. Which shoes you choose to pair with your black jeans will depend on the season, the occasion, and the rest of the outfit.
From boots to sneakers and pumps to knee-high boots, you are pretty spoiled for choice!
In this article, we are going to look at shoes to wear with black jeans. We list nine of our favorite shoe styles that pair amazingly well with black jeans and give you some color and style pointers as to how you can put them together.
Contents
Are Black Jeans In Fashion?
Black jeans will never go out of fashion because of their versatility. They’re black! That means they go with everything.
They can be dressed up or down and can take you from the coffee shop to the rock concert to a night on the town.
Black jeans are one of the few clothing items that transcend trends and seasons, so having a pair of black jeans as one of your closet staples is a great investment.
What Color Shoes Go With Black Jeans
1. Light Neutral Colored Shoes
Just a bit of an explanation here… a light neutral color would be something like beige or nude or light taupe.
These are the exception to the rule because these colors, like black, go with everything. And because they are neutral, as long as you have something else in your outfit that is a neutral (whether it’s a clothing piece or an accessory), it’ll all come together. It doesn’t have to be the same neutral color.
2. Light Non-Neutral Colored Shoes
Light non-neutral colors are colors like yellow, orange, or any of the colors on the color wheel in a lighter color, like violet, sky blue, mint green, and any of the colors in between, like turquoise and cornflower blue or peach.
When it comes to shoe colors that go with black jeans, black is neutral, so it pretty much goes with every color under the rainbow.
If you are going for a lighter non-neutral colored shoe or boot, just make sure you tie in the color of your shoes with the rest of the outfit with either a clothing piece or an accessory.
Because black is … well black, the stark contrast between your black jeans and a light colored shoe will definitely be noticed. So best pair the duo with something that matches the shoes so your outfit looks like a cohesive ensemble – not just random clothing pieces you threw on because it was laundry day.
If you are going for a lighter non-neutral colored shoe or boot, just make sure you tie in the color of your shoes with the rest of the outfit with either a clothing piece or an accessory.
Just a note on white shoes with black jeans: although white is also technically a neutral, the difference between black and white is the most stark contrast between two colors possible.
So when it comes to matching shoes to black jeans – we put white in the ‘non-neutral light color’ group.
This means that if you’re going to wear white shoes with black jeans, make sure that you have something else that’s white in your outfit.
3. Dark Colored Shoes
You can get away with wearing a darker-colored shoe with black jeans without having to get matchy-matchy because there’s not as much of a contrast.
As long as your shoes and the rest of your outfit are in the same tonal range (i.e. warm colors or cool colors), you’re good.
4. Brightly Colored Shoes
Black jeans make the perfect neutral backdrop to showcase a pair of statement shoes or boots. You can use any bright color of footwear to give your outfit a pop of wow. If you are going for a colorful shoe with black jeans, keep the rest of the outfit black or monochromatic, as in different shades of greys.
Whether they’re fuchsia pumps, cobalt blue ankle boots, orange strappy heels, or a pair of bright yellow sneakers with extra thick rainbow soles, let your shoes do the talking!
5. Black Shoes
All that having been said, if you go with black shoes and black jeans, you cannot go wrong… ever. ‘Nuff said.
What Shoes To Wear With Black Jeans
Okay, so this is where we get into what shoes to wear with black jeans… and there are quite a few, so let’s get started!
1. Sneakers
First up on our list is sneakers. They’re a natural choice for a laid-back casual look. They are comfortable and can create a relaxed, cute, sporty, or a little bit of an edgy look, depending on which way you want to go with that.
2. Pumps
Pumps are a classic shoe design that will never go out of style. They can be cute, casual, sexy, dressy or formal, and always über feminine. They come in a variety of heights from kitten pumps to stiletto, so you have lots of options in terms of how you want to style out your black jean outfit.
Pumps are a great way to make a black jean ensemble more feminine and stylish.
Nude pumps look great with black jeans for a more sophisticated look. And a black top with black jeans and a brightly colored pump will also look fantastic.
3. Heeled Cutouts
Cutouts basically look like they were ankle boots or a pair of shoes that have had material cut out of them. They tend to have a lot more material covering the foot than a normal sandal or pump and they often wrap around the ankle.
They also often have a block heel, but not always.
Cutouts look fantastic with black jeans.
Cutouts look fantastic with black jeans.
Because there tends to be a lot more coverage with cutouts, and they are a step up from super casual, we’d advise going either black, a neutral color, or a color that’s a little more subdued that also goes with the rest of your outfit.
4. Gladiators
Far from the black and brown, flat-soled gladiators of the 2000s, gladiators are back this year in a big way! But this time they come in all sorts of colors and are available from flats to wedges, and kitten pumps to stilettos.
And as luck would have it, they look stellar with black jeans.
5. Mary Janes
We have a love/hate relationship with Mary Janes because they walk a very fine line between an age-inappropriate style for anyone over the age of 12 and being super cool (depending on the style you choose).
The right style of Mary Jane can take your outfit from edgy to vintage to classic, depending on what you’re going for.
That is why we love them!
But the flip side is that certain styles of Mary Janes can also make you look like you beat up a private middle school girl and stole her shoes. So choose wisely.
Here are a few styles of Mary Janes that we love.
6. Strappy Block Heels
A strappy block heel will give any black jean outfit a more feminine and sophisticated look.
A block heel provides both stability and comfort. They come in different heights, so you can choose the one you are most comfortable with.
We’d talked about different colors of shoes above, and how to wear them with black jeans, but we didn’t mention clear shoes.
It’s actually a thing and they are fabulous!
Clear shoes, as you can imagine, go with everything, including black jeans. A strappy clear block heel is the perfect accompaniment. Not only do they not take away from your outfit, but they also give you some height and make your legs look longer.
If you have ¾ length black jeans, these are perfect for a pair of lace-up strappy block heels. They will always work in black, but why not try a bold color to make your outfit pop?
7. Ankle Boots
Ankle boots are a great complement to just about any fall or winter outfit. There are so many different styles of ankle boots. The one you choose will really depend on your personal style.
If you tend to be more casual, a Chelsea ankle boot is perfect. For those who are looking for something a little more edgy, a platform, thick-treaded ankle boot will deliver.
If you’re going for a more chic and elegant look, a sleek ankle boot with a heel is just what you need.
If you are looking for something somewhere in the middle that’s not too out there, but shows your unique flair, wedge ankle boots are fun and stylish.
8. Combat Boots
If you are looking to take your style up an edgy notch, combat boots are killer with black jeans.
Combat boots are statement footwear that lets everyone know you are a force to be reckoned with. And they will look great whether you pair them with a pair of black skinny jeans or wide-leg black jeans.
9. Knee-High Boots
When the weather starts to turn colder, you are going to need some footwear that will not only look good, but keep you warm! Knee-high boots are not only practical for the winter months but also look stylish.
When pairing knee-high boots with black jeans, you have options.
Black is always a safe bet because you can never go wrong with black boots and black jeans. But boots in a neutral color, like taupe, grey, or brown work just as well.
If you want to go a little wild, why not try a pair of animal print boots? Snakeskin, leopard, and crocodile prints are on trend. Just make sure if you are going bold on the boot – keep it minimal everywhere else.
Conclusion
Black really does go with everything, and black jeans go with so many different shoe styles.
If you ever find yourself unsure of which way to go with shoes and your black jeans, just pick something black and you really can’t go wrong. But if you want to go beyond black, the inspiration above should give you some ideas!
