One of the most frequestly asked questions we’ve received over the past year or so is about what shoes to wear with jeans. But with the transition from slimmer denim styles to wide leg silhouettes, the confusion has only grown. Today, we’re focusing on what shoes to wear with bootcut jeans specifically. Bootcut jeans are typically snug on the hips and slightly flared out at the knee. They’re very similar to flare jeans but a little less exaggerated. We love bootcut jeans because they’re comfortable, stylish, and are easy to style with most shoes so you can dress them up or down. Below, you’ll find the best shoes to wear with bootcut jeans and some outfit ideas too!
If you have more questions about the best shoes to wear with jeans, make sure you check out this post with shoes to wear with EVERY kind of jean style.
What Shoes To Wear With Bootcut Jeans
Chelsea Booties
First up, Chelsea boots are one of the most common and easy pair of shoes to wear with bootcut jeans. Because bootcut jeans are longer and flared out, you can get away with wearing pretty much any kind of ankle boots since you don’t really see them. This is a simple and casual option.
Lug Sole Booties
Another casual option is a pair of lug sole booties. Erin loves to wear her lug sole booties with pretty much every denim silhouette!
Heeled Booties
If you want to dress your bootcut jeans up a bit, consider a heeled bootie. Erin loves stiletto booties with bootcut and flared jeans! But you don’t have to wear super high heels to make this work. Your heeled booties can be kitten heels, block heels, or whatever you prefer and have in your closet.
Platform Booties
To really add some oomph, throw on a pair of platform booties! The platforms above by Veronica Beard are pretty big but your platforms can be lower depending on what you’re comfortable with.
Wedge Booties
Wedge booties are a great way to add height without sacrificing any comfort. Erin loves wearing wedge booties with every denim style!
Western/Cowboy Booties
Country is cool again! The western “trend” is officially here to stay so now’s the time to add a pair of western-inspired cowboy boots to your closet. They pair beautifully with bootcut jeans and also look great with so many other denim styles.
Sock Booties
Sock booties are a sexy and sleek option to wear with your bootcut jeans for a night out! They are fitted to the ankle so they fit underneath wider denim styles.
Loafers
Loafers have made a big comeback over the past year or so and they look amazing with bootcut jeans! Erin has them on with a cropped pair of bootcut jeans above but they would work with a full-length jean as well.
Ballet Flats
Ballet flats are another shoe trend that’s going strong right now. There are so many different options out there for ballet flats too…mesh ballet flats, pointy-toe flats, strappy ballet flats, classic ballet flats, etc.
Sneakers
Sneakers are one of Team Busbee’s favorite ways to style bootcut jeans because they’re such an easy, casual option. The shoes Erin’s wearing above are platform sneakers by Chloe but you could go with a more classic sneaker too!
Heeled Mules
Next up is heeled mules or slide-on heels. These are a wonderful option and simple to style with every denim silhouette.
Flat Sandals
If you want to keep it casual during the spring/summer, just throw on your favorite pair of flat sandals, a cute top, and you’re ready to go!
Block Heel Sandals
To elevate your outfit, consider throwing on a pair of block heel sandals to add some height and dress it up a bit.
Wedges
Wearing wedges with your bootcut jeans during the spring is a great way to dress them up. In the photo above, Erin’s wearing a pair of woven open-toe wedges but you can wear espadrille wedges, closed-toe wedges, platform wedges, etc. Here is a similar version to the ones in the image above.
Strappy Sandals
Depending on the strappy sandal, they can make a pair of bootcut jeans look more casual or dressier. Flat strappy sandals will be more casual while heeled strappy sandals will dress up your look.
Slingbacks
Slingbacks are a dressier option and perfect if you’re headed out to dinner or a girls’ night out. Slingback kitten heels are very on-trend right now and would look so cute with a cropped pair of bootcut jeans!
Pumps
Pumps are the dressiest option for your bootcut jeans. To keep your legs looking long and lean, wear a pump in the color family of your jeans. For example, if you’re wearing dark-wash jeans, wear dark pumps. If you’re wearing light-wash jeans, wear pumps that match your skin tone.
Keep scrolling for 10 simple bootcut jeans outfits…
10 Bootcut Jeans Outfits
Bootcut Jeans, Button-Down Shirt & Wedges
We love this look for spring/summer! Erin’s wearing a pair of white Mother bootcut jeans that you’ll be seeing throughout this post 😉 She owns them in multiple washes and loves them so much! They are a cropped bootcut jeans, which makes them perfect for showing off or drawing attention to a pair of shoes like these woven wedges. Most of the pieces in these outfits are older so we’ll link similar items. On her top half, she’s wearing a pretty pink striped button-down shirt but you could style this with a white button-down shirt, blue striped button-down, or really any colorful blouse or top.
Bootcut Jeans, Printed Blouse & Flat Sandals
In this look, Erin’s wearing the same pair of white Mother jeans with a printed butterfly top from Alice + Olivia. She could easily style this look but a pair of wedges, light neutral booties, or heeled sandals. But to give it a more casual feel, she’s wearing a pair of brown Sam Edelman flat sandals.
Bootcut Jeans, Light Sweater & Strappy Sandals
Yep…these are the same white bootcut jeans from the first two looks! In this look, she styled them with a lightweight mint green sweater and a pair of strappy heeled sandals. These exact heels are sold out but you can still get an idea of what a pair of strappy heels looks like with bootcut jeans and how they can really elevate a basic outfit.
By the way, we share the white jeans Erin’s been wearing for YEARS in this post in case you’re interested.
Bootcut Jeans, Blouse & Sneakers
Sneakers are out favorite shoe style to wear with bootcut jeans when we’re going for a more casual look. These Chloe platform sneakers are some of Erin’s go-to sneakers every spring and summer and they look amazing with all denim styles. But you can wear any pair of sneakers you have in your closet with your bootcut jeans. In this look, Erin’s wearing them with the same Mother bootcut jeans and a tan blouse that draws out the tan in the shoes. To make this look even more casual, swap the blouse for a tee.
Bootcut Jeans, Sweater & Slingbacks
These Good American jeans are slightly more flared than a traditional bootcut jean but we wanted to show you what a pair of slingbacks or pumps would look like. Erin’s wearing a pair of Reiss slingbacks that are no longer available but we linked a similar option below. We love that they make this classic jeans-and-sweater look a little dressier and polished.
Bootcut Jeans, White Top & Heeled Sandals
In this look, Erin’s wearing the same Mother bootcut jeans in a dark wash denim this time! She styled them with a classic white top…a must for every woman’s closet in the spring and summer. On her feet, she’s wearing a pair of heeled slide-on sandals with braided details. Any sort of heeled sandal looks so good with a pair of bootcut jeans!
Bootcut Jeans, Blouse & Heeled Mules
Here’s another example of a heeled sandal that looks great with these Whetherly jeans. Erin’s wearing heeled mules by L’Agence that she pulls out any time she wants to take a look up a notch. She completed the look with a flattering black blouse.
Bootcut Jeans, Button-Down Shirt & Loafers
This outfit is a great example of how to wear loafers with bootcut jeans. In this look, Erin’s wearing the same Mother bootcut jeans in a dark wash denim this time. Since they’re cropped, you can really see the loafers but even if they were full-length, this outfit would be equally as chic. On her top half, she’s wearing a classic white button-down shirt and her go-to black blazer by Veronica Beard.
Bootcut Jeans, Blazer & Block Heeled Sandals
In this look, Erin’s wearing a pair of medium wash bootcut jeans by Mother with some fun platform block heel sandals. On her top half, she’s wearing a cropped blazer over a basic black top. This is an elevated casual look that’s so easy to recreate for spring/summer.
Bootcut Jeans, Sweater & Heeled Booties
In all of the looks above, we mostly focused on spring/summer styles because that’s the time of year we’re headed into right now. But boots with bootcut jeans are a year-round classic in most climates so we wanted to share a simple outfit formula to wear bootcut jeans with boots. All you need is your favorite pair of bootcut jeans, an interesting sweater (remember those basics-with-a-twist we always talk about!), and a classic pair of booties. If it’s fall/winter, wear something like what Erin’s wearing above. If it’s spring/summer, consider a pair of white jeans, a neutral or white sweater, and a pair of white or neutral-colored booties!
What shoe style are you going to try with your bootcut jeans next? Share in the comments below!
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I love love love all the shoes that you have in this post. They are quite amazing. It’s interesting that when you wear a boot cut jeans, your shape really doesn’t matter as much as if you had on a skinny Jean these jeans are so elegant you can dress them up or you can dress him down thank you so much and have an awesome weekend. !
You are exactly right, Peggy! They are such a versatile silhouette…Really a great style for all body shapes and so easy to dress up or down. Enjoy your weekend too! ~Team Busbee
After seeing all of the styles of shoes, sandals, and boots that one can wear with bootcut jeans, my only question is. . . . are there any types of footwear that should NOT be worn with bootcut jeans? It seems that any style of footwear is fine, as long as the style of footwear compliments the style of whatever is worn as a top (i.e., if the top is dressier, go with a dressier or more delicate shoe, sandal, or boot).
You’re exactly right, Dori! One of the great things about bootcut jeans is they really do go with just about any shoe! The only consideration would be too wide of a top on an ankle bootie, or too tall of a boot that you would see it/feel it pushing on the front of the jeans. Otherwise, just match the style of your top as you’ve noted. Thanks for reading this one! ~Team Busbee
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