Blue pants are an essential item in any man’s wardrobe.
Besides anchoring your outfit with a strong primary color, they’re also incredibly versatile–unlike certain pant colors, blue can go with outfits that are casual, formal, and everything in between.
If you’ve ever fretted over what color shoes go with blue pants, fear no longer. In this article, we’ll break down six options for shoes to pair with blue pants.
What Color Shoes To Wear With Blue Pants?
The color of your shoes is an important element of an outfit since they tie the whole ensemble together. Here are 6 color shoes that pair well with blue pants, including navy blue pants:
1. Brown Shoes
The first item on our list is the most reliable option: brown shoes.
Brown and blue is a classic pairing in everything from casual streetwear to formal suits. It is an especially strong option when there is a contrast between the vibrancy of your suit and your shoes. A navy blue suit, for example, looks dashing with a pair of mahogany Oxfords.
There are also other options for blue and brown beyond formal attire. For a more casual look, you could pair some blue chinos or dark blue jeans with a pair of brown leather sneakers.
Either way, you should always remember that brown is the most versatile and dependable color when you’re choosing shoes that go with blue pants. In fact, both complement each other.
2. White Shoes
White shoes are another classic pairing with blue pants. Whether you’re rocking a darker shade of blue like navy or a lighter shade of blue like denim, you can’t go wrong with white.
Like brown shoes, white shoes establish a sharp color contrast between the color of the pants and the color of the shoes, which tends to make both seem more visually striking.
White shoes do tend to be a more casual option. Pairing white sneakers with jeans, blue chinos, or corduroys, for example, can form an outfit that’s chic while still being lowkey.
That said, no rule says it’s impossible to use white shoes in a formal setting. A pair of patterned white shoes could give a high-class, couture look when paired with blue pants.
Alternatively, white shoes paired with snug blue pants and a polo shirt could be a solid country club look. A casual pair of white sneakers like the Adidas Stan Smith would work every time.
If you feel uncertain about white shoes, try a pair of shoes with accent colors like blue or brown. Doing so will add diversity to your color palette and make your outfit more visually appealing.
3. Gray Shoes
Next up on our list is another straightforward option.
Like white, gray shoes work well with blue pants because they are coordinating colors. However, since gray is less vibrant than white, gray shoes tend to bring out the vibrancy of the blue.
Gray is not a traditional option in formalwear, since most dress shoes tend to be either brown, black, or patterned white. A wolf gray pair of shoes like New Balance 993 would work.
However, there are still gray shoe options that are classy and trendy without being formal. For example, a pair of gray boat shoes is an excellent combination with light blue pants.
As with brown shoes, you will want to pick a pair of gray shoes that contrast with the tone of the pants. If the pants are dark navy blue, pick light gray shoes, and vice versa.
4. Red Shoes
Red shoes are a more bombastic option for the bold and daring, but if you want to explore what color shoes go with blue pants, red shoes are an essential trendy look.
Since red is a more expressive choice, you have an array of options in selecting your shoes. For one, red comes in a wide variety of shades, tones, and tints ranging from bright red to dark red.
Depending on the blue, you might pair cherry red shoes with dark navy blue pants for a more visually striking, bottom-heavy silhouette, or you could use a pastel red to add a softer touch.
Either way, your options are endless.
You could pick a pair of light, rust-red shoes with blue chinos, red Oxfords to match with form-fitting blue slacks, or patterned red sneakers to go with your favorite jeans.
5. Polished Black Shoes
It might sound like fashion heresy to pair blue pants with black shoes, but don’t worry–it can look great! Indeed, blue and back do not always work well together, but it is helpful to know why.
Black tends to visually “absorb” the brightness and vibrancy of nearby colors, so pairing dull black shoes with bright blue pants can look a bit garish and obtrusive.
However, if you get a pair of polished black shoes, the look changes.
When black shoes have a layer of polish, they give off a shine that offsets the general dulling effect of black–making them an excellent combination with a pair of deep blue slacks.
6. Orange Shoes
If you want to get crazy, reach for a pair of orange shoes to pair with your blue pants. Orange and blue are complementary colors, which means they sit at the opposite end of the color wheel.
Complementary colors bring out the vibrancy in each other and create an eye-catching look, which is why you see complementary colors paired together in logos and superhero costumes.
For that reason, blue and orange can look excellent paired together–though doing so requires caution. To avoid looking like a traffic cone or a discount superhero, try pairing pastel blue and orange for a preppy look, or use saturated blue and orange in an athleisure outfit.
Final Thoughts
If you need to know what color shoes go with blue pants, you’re in luck, because the world is your oyster. Blue is a universally accepted color in fashion and goes well with many color shoes.
With as many shades and tints of blue as there are people who love the color (which is, well, a lot), there are endless combinations for pairing shoes with blue pants.
You could reach for a traditional color pairing like brown and blue if you want a timeless formal outfit. You could pick white and blue if you want an effortlessly chic style. Or you can become a fashion innovator by experimenting with combinations of red and blue or orange and blue.
No matter what, the power is in your hands to determine what color combinations make you look and feel best. At the end of the day, you should feel confident with what you wear.
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