The 7 Best Shoes to Wear With Wide-Leg Trousers

October 05, 2021 at 08:00AM

When it comes to outfit styling, few events provide as much inspiration as fashion week. Bringing together the fashion world’s most stylish individuals, these events act as a one-stop shop for outfit ideas and styling inspo.

With autumn on the horizon, I’ve been thinking about the season’s staples and pondering the best trouser-and-shoe pairings. Wide-leg trousers have always illuded me as they seem to be a particularly difficult item to pair with footwear. (Evidently, I’m not alone. We’ve recently seen an increase in searches of the phrase, “shoes to wear with wide-leg trousers.”)

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Luckily, the street style at Copenhagen Fashion Week offered up plenty of inspiration on this exact topic and was a veritable masterclass in how to style wide-leg trousers. Whether you’re looking to style flared jeans, wide-leg leather pants or traditional suit trousers, CPHFW had a footwear option for every occasion. Keep scrolling for the best shoes to wear with wide-leg trousers, including chunky boots, heeled mules and pointed-toe pumps.

Style Notes: This super simple pairing will never fail, and you’ll also be extremely comfortable. My one tip would be to make sure your trouser hem is tailored, so you don’t run the risk of damaging your clothes. 

Style Notes: The juxtaposition between wide-leg, oversized trousers and daintier mules is a good way to balance out the proportions of an outfit. I love the way this showgoer has paired her leather trousers with a barely-there pink heel.

Style Notes: This look means business. Pointed-toe pumps will work to elongate the leg and make you appear slightly taller (which is always a bonus if you’re on the shorter side like me).

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Style Notes: These two are a match made in heaven. The combination of wide-leg jeans and strappy sandals feels distinctly Carrie Bradshaw and will look chic no matter how you style it.

Style Notes: To be frank, I’d wear sneakers with just about anything. I think a lighter coloured sneaker looks best against wide-leg trousers as it doesn’t draw the eye immediately to the base of your outfit. 

Style Notes: Wide-leg leather trousers and ankle boots are a pairing we see winter after winter. This look works particularly well because the trousers are cropped slightly, which allows you to see more of the boot’s silhouette.

Style Notes: Again,I think the balance of proportions here works best because the trousers are slightly cropped. I always find a heavier soled shoe looks nice against a cropped trouser leg, helping break up the look. 

Next up, the biggest autumn 2021 trends you need to know. 

Author Zoe Anastasiou | Whowhatwear
Selected by CWC