Wide-leg pants are having a major fashion moment! From runways to street style, this trendy (yet, classic) silhouette is everywhere—and it’s no wonder why. They’re effortlessly chic, universally flattering, and insanely versatile. But figuring out the perfect shoes to pair with wide leg pants can be tricky. The wrong pair can throw off your proportions, but the right ones? Well, they’ll elevate your outfit, elongate your legs, and make you look like a total style pro. To keep your wide leg pants outfits modern and on-trend, we’re sharing 8 fail-safe, flattering shoe options that pair perfectly with wide-leg pants. Let’s dive in!
For More Simple Styling Tips with Your Wide-Leg Pants, This Post is a Must Read!
8 shoes to wear with wide-leg pants
If you second guess what shoes to wear with your wide leg pants or jeans you are not alone. It’s one of the most common style questions we receive. Here’s the great news, it’s actually pretty simple. We will share the 8 shoe styles below to wear with your wide leg pants to nail the look EVERY time.
Are Wide Leg Pants in Style
If you are a fan of wide leg pants, this IS your moment. They are very in style and trendy at the moment, while still being one of those pieces you’ll wear for years to come. When picking out your wide leg pants, I would opt for a neutral versatile color like black and if you have concerns about your lower tummy, avoid pleats. I am such a fan of wide leg pants because of how elongating and flattering they are. When you pair them with heels, you get the look of legs for daayyys!
Shoes to Wear with Wide-Leg Dress Pants
Let’s break down each of the popular wide-leg pants styles into categories and share which kind of shoes look great with each.
Flats
Ballet flats, mesh flats, strappy flats…the trick to making your flats look elegant with wide-leg trousers is all in the shape of the shoe. A pointed toe or even an almond toe flat is going to be your best bet because these silhouettes will elongate your leg. Their slim profile creates contrast to the pant leg volume. In contrast, a rounded toe flat is going to truncate your leg, making your legs appear shorter and bulkier. Hmm, no thanks! And a rounded toe adds extra width at the bottom of your leg which can appear unbalanced too.
Slingbacks or Classic Pumps
Lots of options here! Stiletto, kitten heel, block heel…while a classic pump would be ideal for the office, an embellished heel would be beautiful for an event or night out. And, just like a pointed toe flat, the elegance of a pointed-toe heel or slingback in particular is going to look the most flattering with your wide-leg pants. You’ll get the benefit of the elongated leg AND some additional height which can be wonderful if you’re petite and want to lengthen your frame.
Ankle Boots
Look for sleek, fitted ankle boots or sock booties that can be tucked under your wide-leg pants. If your wide-leg pants are on the longer side or you’re petite, a stiletto or platform bootie will make your legs look a mile long! You’ll want the pants to either skim the top of the boots or have enough length to cover them. This helps create that super slimming silhouette. Erin’s favorite sock booties are by Stuart Weitzman and her go-to black stiletto ankle booties by Schutz are actually quite comfy (for heels!). We’ll link both below…
To really keep the line long and lean, choose a pair of booties, slingbacks, or flats in a matching color tone to your dressy wide-leg pants!
What Shoes to Wear With Cropped Wide-Leg Pants
Slingbacks & Heels
Pointed toe slingbacks and classic pumps are excellent options to wear with your cropped wide-leg pants. But with the shorter length, you can also show off a pretty, strappy sandal, tie sandal, or embellished heel or sandal! The flats we shared in the wide-leg dress pants section above would also be a great option.
Sock Booties
We love the look of a sock bootie paired under a pair of cropped wide leg pants (or jeans!). At this point, you’ll probably guess why….if you said because it keeps the pant line long and lean YOU are correct. Depending on the shaft height of a regular ankle bootie, you might have an issue of interference with the pant hem, so a sock bootie tucked under the hem is going to look streamlined every time!
What Shoes to Wear With Wide-Leg Leather Pants
Pointed Toe Shoes
Leather pants can be heavy and even voluminous so the right shoe choice is key! The sleek and sharp silhouette of a pointed-toe shoe creates a polished contrast with the structured and sometimes heavier look of leather. Pointed toe heels, slingbacks, and heeled booties are all perfect options!
Chunky Ankle Boots
Wearing lug sole or chunky Chelsea boots with your wide-leg leather pants will add a modern, edgy vibe that complements the toughness of leather trousers. The thick sole of the boot also helps to balance the volume of the wide-leg pants. You won’t have that same flattering long line as you would with a pointed-toe shoe, but it can still look very modern and super cool!
Platform Sneakers
Sneakers, especially minimalist or chunky styles, give leather trousers a relaxed, sporty, and very cool vibe. A platform sneaker like the one Erin’s wearing above will give you that little height boost too. Sneakers and trousers are a very on-trend pairing!
To see how to wear your pleated trousers with sneakers and get the look *just* right, be sure to check out this post next!
What Shoes to Wear With Wide-Leg Lounge Pants
Sneakers
When it comes to what shoes to wear with the cozy, snuggling wide-leg lounge pants we all love to wear around the house with slippers…sneakers are going to be your best bet! Pretty much any pair of sneakers will work. We’ll link a few of Erin’s favorite go-tos and Busbee best-sellers…
*Bonus* – What Shoes to Wear with Wide-leg Jeans
The simple answer? ANY of the shoes we’ve already talked about in this post will work beautifully with your wide-leg jeans. Flats, slingbacks, classic pumps, pointed toe heels, lug sole boots, ankle booties, sock booties and…sneakers. Wide-leg jeans are super versatile!
Have you embraced the wide-leg pant trend or are you still unsure? Do you have any styling questions we can help you with? If so, just leave us a comment below.
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