The 7 Best Shoes to Wear With Wide-Leg Trousers

March 20, 2022 at 06:09AM

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 spring well and truly here, 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, which is always attended by sleek dressers, 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, those in the know have 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. 

A pair you can dress up or down. 

M&S are masters at creating ballet flats. 

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 mule heel.

These will offer you some respite from your jeans. 

I own these mules, and can confirm they’re actually pretty comfy. 

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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).

These look so premium, don’t you think? 

The fastest way to breathe new life into an outfit? Bright shoes. 

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.

Deep indigo tones are trending on the 2022 denim scene. 

How cool are these? 

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. 

I enjoy the racing stripe down the side of these tailored trousers. 

A classic for a reason. 

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.

Kick-flares always look so chic. 

The height of these boots makes them ideal for wearing with midi dresses, too. 

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. 

This buttery-yellow colour is going to be huge this season. 

Tassel details make loafers look all the more classic. 

Next up, Spring/Summer 2022 Trends: The Only 17 Looks You Need to Know About 

This post was originally published at an earlier time and has since been updated. 

Author Zoe Anastasiou | Whowhatwear
Selected by CWC