Denim dresses are timeless, elegant, and always in need of a fancy pair of shoes to match with them. However, deciding on the perfect pair of shoes can be a challenge, so we’ve laid out which best shoes to wear with a denim dress. That’s right, no more agonizing in front of the mirror. You can thank us later.
What Shoes to Wear with a Denim Dresses
Denim itself is a bit of a casual material. Jeans, the most common denim garment you’ll see on the street, are often too informal to be worn to an upscale event or meeting. It’s a shame, really, since denim is such a durable and stylish material, but those are the social conventions we live in.
As such, the types of shoes you see on this list will err on the more casual side. This isn’t to say that you can’t wear formal shoes with a denim dress, but it’s just not as common.
White Sneakers
Look at this outfit. Isn’t it neat? Wouldn’t you say white sneakers make it complete? Wouldn’t people think you’re the girl, the girl who has everything (matching denim dresses)?
The Little Mermaid parodies aside, white sneakers paired with a denim dress provides a timeless look. The dress in the picture is somewhat baggy and formless, taking away some of the “oomph” that the outfit could provide. But when you look at it from a distance, it’s stylish, vintage, and perfect to wear to class, on a date, or a job interview at a hip, fresh start-up.
The white sneakers you have in your closet will probably work, whether they’re Vans, Keds, or Chuck Taylors. The more broken in and worn they look, the better. White sneakers that show signs of wear and tear give your look a different vibe — one that’s tough and edgy while still looking demure and innocent.
Ratty white sneakers show signs of wear easier, so you look like the kid on the playground that no one wanted to mess with, but everyone wanted to be friends with. It’s a great place to be.
Gray Sandals
Take a gander at this outfit. The long-sleeved denim jacket going down to nearly the floor looks heavy. If it’s hot outside, it could be quite hot to wear this outfit.
If you wear gray sandals, you not only match your dress to a color that complements it well but stay cool while doing it. The gray sandals pictured in the photo are slightly metallic and look like flip flops. They’re the perfect summery look to look cute with a denim dress but ensure you don’t get a heat stroke wearing it.
The gray sandals could be more involved in the photo, including a heel strap or more protection around the feet than flip-flop style sandals. Heck, if you want to look super granola, you could wear Chacos or other types of sports sandals.
Whatever style of sandals you choose, keep em gray and keep-them non-glittery. Yes, we have to make that note because some sandals look out of place compared to the simplicity of a denim jacket.
Denim dresses bring up connotations of blue-collar work, of going out back to the garden to harvest a meal for your family to eat. Glitzy sandals create a different vibe that clashes with the denim dress.
Stay calm and comfortable, but skew towards simple gray sandals. Don’t go overboard.
Black Boots
Black boots are another great companion for a denim dress. Denim is sleek and dark. It needs an equally sleek and dark companion to match well with it. Black boots are those companions.
Black boots, as seen here can go nearly up to the knee or stay cropped at the ankle. The length of boot depends on your personal preference. Some people make knee-high boots their staple, others wearing them only once in a blue moon.
Ankle-high boots look good if you want to wear leggings underneath, but otherwise, ankle boots are less of a commitment. With knee-high boots, you have to find ways to properly keep long-part up or else it will crease over time. Who wants to deal with that?
Your boyfriend and your job stress you out enough, so your boots shouldn’t also spike your blood pressure.
This is why ankle-high boots are a classic boot you can wear all-year-round — not just in the winter, like knee-high boots. They’ll also look great with denim dresses, which can also be worn year-round.
Black is slimming and sexy. Denim is soft and gives you a vintage look. Paired together, you have one great looking outfit.
White Boots
Conversely, white boots also look great with denim dresses — especially if you have a darker complexion like the model in this photo.
White boots look sleek and crisp. Since denim is a dark color, your dress needs a lighter companion to provide some balance — not emphasize the darkness further as with black boots.
If you want to make the blue color of your dress stand out, match it with some cute white boots — ankle-high or higher.
Brown Boots or Sandals
Alright, one last boot option to throw at you. Brown boots, as depicted here, look great with a lighter shade of denim. But, really, all shades of denim look good with brown boots.
The style of boot depicted in the photo looks like a boot-sandal hybrid. At first glance, they look like just regular old brown boots, giving the dress an elevated, professional look. But further inspection reveals the boots are indeed sandals, bringing the look back down to a middle-grade casual tone.
The point? Both brown boots and brown sandals look good with a denim dress. If it’s cold outside or you want to protect your feet, wear brown boots for an elegant look. Once again, use your discretion with the length of the boot — the color itself will do the work for you.
On hotter days where the last thing you want to do is cover up more skin, bust out those cute brown sandals. They’ll keep your internal temperature down but keep your overall body looking hot.
White Pumps
If you want to give your boots a break, white pumps are another excellent choice for your denim dress. Pumps provide you with height if you’re a bit shorter while taking your outfit up a formal notch. Denim itself might be a bit casual, but pumps are not.
If you want to wow people at the next business casual meeting, pumps are the way to go — especially white ones. As with the white color boots, white pumps create a color pallet for which your denim dress can stand out. Pick a pair of comfortable white pumps to wear with your denim dress for a fashionable look.
Feel free to pair your dress and shoes with other accessories as well. The model in the photo wears black glasses on her head while clutching a black purse. The black accessories are most likely there to compliment the darker pockets of the dress.
That amount of planning shows that you put thought and effort into your outfit, which means you won’t only look gorgeous in your dress but clever as well.
Silver Pointy Heels
Nothing says, “Get out of my way, I’m important!” than shoes with a point on the end of them. Just look at the ones pictured here. You don’t want to mess with the woman in the photo, and neither would we.
The purse is a nice touch. Light blue is the love child between the dark denim dress and the silvery, light gray shoes. The bag stays within the palette, elevating the look while allowing you to hold all your necessary items in one place (besides, the purse itself is super cute).
It must be noted that silver pointed shoes are not for everyone. Mainly, weaklings. Sometimes your body can’t physically handle the power silver pointed shoes provides. And that’s okay — you should accept that.
But if you can hold the power of those silver shoes (much like Thor with his hammer), then wear them with pride. You’re the most powerful person on the block — and your omnipotent shoes will match perfectly with your blue denim dress.
Yellow Sneakers
For when the weather warms up, and the sun pokes its head from those horrible cloudy skies, bust out this perky lil outfit out. The model wearing it doesn’t look too enthused, but her outfit is!
The light blue denim matches well with the amber shoes underneath. You couldn’t wear those shoes with a darker blue, as you’d have to overcompensate with a darker yellow, so the light-light pairing makes the outfit look effervescent overall without any single article hogging too much of the attention.
The light brown purse is another nice touch. It doesn’t seem that dress has pockets, so if you’re forced to put your things in an over-the-shoulder receptacle, it might as well be a cute tan purse. Black, light gray, or a matching yellow would have also worked.
The ensemble looks cute, intentional, and overall bubbly. It would be perfect to wear in the spring or summer. If you live in a warmer climate, wear it whenever you want — it’s bound to be a hit no matter what the time of year is.
Leopard Print Sneakers
Just like with silver pointy shoes, not every mortal is capable of wearing leopard print sneakers. It’s like the shoes need to choose you rather than the other way around.
But look at this photo. At first you think, “No, no way,” but the look grows on you. Leopard print is a mix of oranges, tans, dark browns, and a bit of black thrown in. All those colors match the blue dress perfectly.
Not only that, but leopard print is visually striking. It adds variety and depth to your look that solid color shoes can’t do. Besides, leopard print is just fun. That’s what we mean when we say not everyone can wear leopard print. It’s the pattern for those who don’t take themselves too seriously but still want to look good in their outfit.
The leopard print loafers seen in the photo look comfortable and easy to wear. Just slip on the shoes, throw on the dress, do your makeup, and you’re good to go. There’s no need to dress as if you’re going to meet the Queen of England. The blue denim dress — and its leopard companions — make you look bold, confident, and like you know how to have fun.
Black Platform Heels
As mentioned previously, denim comes in all different shades of blue. For lighter denim, you should wear lighter shoes. For darker denim, you should wear darker shoes.
And if you need some extra boost to your height, you could wear black platform heels as seen here.
As you can see from the model in the photo, the black platform shoes give her an extra few inches of height while the heels themselves are simple, functional, and elegant. They easily match the darker blue dress and her complexion.
Black platform heels, especially wedges, work with dresses of various lengths. The one in the photo go to the model’s mid-calf, but you can wear them with shorter-length dresses as well. The shoes themselves are sleek and stylish, so you can wear them with a variety of outfits — but especially a blue denim dress.
Black platform heels seem to be more comfortable than regular heels, so every lady should have a pair. Especially if you’re short, wearing this outfit will be just what you need to not only match your shoes to your dress but add a few inches onto your height as well.
Read Also: What Shoes to Wear with a Red Dress
Red Heels
Blue and red don’t usually go together unless it’s the Fourth of July or you’re showing pride to Russia, but this outfit proves that a denim dress matched with red heels can provide a cute, summery look — with evidence here.
The long dress provides a lot of blue. The blue is mesmerizing, enticing. It draws you in and urges you to keep looking at the dress.
But with the bright red shoes on the feet, it’s as if you’re coming up for air from the blue denim stream you’re swimming in. The red adds a pop of energetic color that’s charming — especially when matched with a watermelon clutch.
The outfit wouldn’t work the other way around. You shouldn’t wear a red dress with blue shoes, but a blue denim dress with red shoes is completely fine. If the season’s right, it can even be patriotic! But no matter what time you want to wear them, bust out those bright red shoes with a denim dress to look cute and make a statement.
Tan Sandals
Tandals, some might say. Or, actually, no one says that, but they do say that this outfit looks good.
Tan sandals can not only go with a variety of skin tones but match a denim dress well. Whether light or dark blue, tan goes with all shades in between.
Especially if it’s warm out, the sandals are a must for staying cool while looking great in your dress. The sandals should be comfortable and protect your feet from the harsh streets we all have to walk on, but at least you’ll look cute with your dress.
If summer’s coming into full swing, don your tan sandals with a denim dress. You’re guaranteed to look fantastic while adding a moderate amount of color to your outfit.
Black and White Sneakers
Sometimes you can’t pick between either black or white sneakers. So why not get the best of both worlds and use both?
Just take a look at this outfit. It’s simple. It’s stylish. And with the two-color shoes, you have a greater range of options with the accessories you decide to include with it.
As you can tell in the photo, the model completes the outfit with a black dress and white-rimmed glasses. Both nodded to the black and white shoes she wears underneath, with the blue denim dresses the mediator between the colors up top and down below.
Black and white are neutral colors that both match blue, so it’s no wonder that the stylish woman in the photo decided to wear a nice pair of sneakers with her blue dress.
You don’t have to get a pair that’s half-and-half like the ones pictured in the photo. You could get black and white checkered shoes, stripes, polka-dots, whatever floats your boat. If you want to match your purse and glasses to them, even better.
Do what your heart tells you in regards to accessories. All we’re telling you is that black and white combination sneakers will look great with a blue denim dress.
You might have had difficulty what shoes to wear with a blue denim dress in the past, but such confusion should be a thing of the past after reading this article. Find a pair of shoes that fits your personality and match them to your denim dress with pride. Not only will you feel good, but you’ll look good, too!