What Shoes to Wear with Thigh-High Socks

Choosing the right shoes to wear with thigh-High Socks can be a bit tricky. Through my own trial and error, I have discovered some tips and tricks for finding the perfect shoe to complement my thigh-high socks!

Thigh-High Socks with Boots

If you’re wondering what shoes to wear with thigh-high socks, the most reliable answer to this question is boots! Because thigh-high socks are so perfect for cold weather, they tend to work with boots naturally. They work well with just about any type, such as:

Galoshes or rain boots
Ankle boots or booties
Knee-high boots
Winter boots
High-heeled boots
Combat boots

I used to think that pairing thigh-high socks with boots wouldn’t work since the boots would hide most of the socks. However, I’ve learned that this is actually not the case at all!

In fact, wearing boots with fun and colorful thigh-high socks can add a playful touch to an outfit, especially during the colder months when fashion can feel a bit lackluster. I love wearing my thigh-high socks with boots because it allows me to show off a pop of color and personality, adding some interest to a season that can sometimes be drab and dreary.

In the wintertime and on other chilly days, you can up the warmness factor of a good pair of knee-high socks by wearing them over a pair of leggings. This way, you have an extra layer of warmth protecting your legs from the cold, and you get to show off your socks at the same time!

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Thigh-High Socks with Sandals

For me, the best time to wear thigh-high socks after winter is definitely summertime! While I know I can’t wear thick or lined thigh-highs during this season since they will be too warm, there are plenty of thinner and lighter versions out there that are perfect for summertime wear.

If you’re wondering what to wear with thigh-high socks in the summer, then you should try sandals instead of regular shoes. For instance, if you have chunky white sandals, such as Crocs, try pairing them with striped rainbow thigh-highs.

If you have brown wedge sandals, they might look best with innocent white or pink thigh-highs for the summertime. These are just a few examples!

As far as colors for summer thigh-highs go, stick to rainbows, patterns, floral motifs, and bright colors. Stay away from brown, gray, and black thigh-high socks. Those are better suited to colder seasons unless you’re going for a formal look.

The options for sandals that can complement your thigh-high socks are endless. The only limitation to keep in mind is to try to stay away from sandals that go in between your toes, as these can make your socks uncomfortable. However, if you own a pair of thigh-high toe socks, you can ignore this rule, too!

Just keep in mind that when wearing thigh-high socks with sandals, you’ll need to position them so that the toe seam sits beneath your toes, or else it will show.

Thigh-High Socks with Formal Shoes

Believe it or not, the right thigh-high socks can help you pull off a pair of formal shoes. Schools have been pairing knee-high socks with dress shoes for years, and knee-high socks can be just as stylish.

I love wearing my thigh-high socks with loafers and other dress shoes because it creates a unique and unexpected look that stands out. I’ve also found that Mary Janes and Oxford shoes look equally great with thigh-high stockings, especially if I’m going for a more innocent or sweet vibe.

Be very careful when wearing thigh-high socks in an educational or business setting. While knee-high socks are generally acceptable, some organizations might consider thigh-high to be too sexy for these places. However, you can very quickly recreate the same look with a pair of full-length tights or knee-high socks if this is the case!

Many formal shoes work to accentuate the leg-lengthening properties of thigh-high socks. Examples of these shoes include:

Stiletto heels
Wedges
Peep-toe heels
Kitten heels
Pumps
Platforms

However, thigh-high socks can be understandably difficult to pair with formal outfits, such as dresses. While cocktail dresses are generally short enough to wear with thigh-high socks or hoes, thigh-highs are unlikely to show as well under long dresses or slacks.

As such, make sure to wear a shorter skirt or jumpsuit if you’re looking to show off your thigh-high socks! Alternatively, you can dress up an otherwise casual outfit by adding a pair of formal shoes and some thigh-high socks to it, especially for a night on the town.

Thigh-High Socks with Sneakers

Thigh-high socks with sneakers have been a popular combination since the advent of the skater style. Lace-up and slip-on sneakers alike go great with a sassy pair of thigh-high stockings, as do high tops!

When pairing thigh-high socks with sneakers, you will need to remember to pattern either the shoes or the socks. Unless your socks and shoes showcase the same pattern, such as white and black checkers, it’s generally best to wear one solid and one patterned article.

For example, if I’m wearing rainbow-striped thigh-highs, I like to pair them with black or white sneakers to keep the focus on the socks. On the other hand, if my sneakers have a colorful design, I prefer to pair them with solid-colored thigh-high socks to avoid a clash of patterns.

One excellent match for sneakers that’s not too busy and not too dull is a pair of thigh-highs with several colored stripes at the top.

Adding just a few stripes at the top of the sock adds visual interest without looking trashy. It won’t make them too busy for patterned shoes, and it carries the sassy factor that the skater style is known for.

In fact, with this skater style, it’s generally acceptable even to wear mismatched socks if you want to! I recommend a black skater skirt to complete the look!

Read Also: Best Online Sock Stores

Thigh-High Socks with Ballet Flats

Ballet flats are a wonderfully versatile class of shoe that matches hundreds of different styles. However, because ballet flats can shorten the profile of the leg instead of elongating it, styling them can be problematic. Thigh-high stockings solve this problem, however, by working to lengthen the leg’s profile instead!

I love how versatile ballet flats are and how they can be paired with so many different clothing styles, from warm fall stockings to thin summer socks. They add a touch of sophistication and elegance to any outfit, which is perfect for when I want to dress up a professional look.

One of the things I appreciate about ballet flats is how many different styles and colors they come in. This means I can wear them with just about any outfit and not have to worry about whether they will match or not.

The casual cousin to ballet flats, or espadrilles, is something like a cross between a ballet flat and a slip-on sneaker. These shoes have been around for hundreds of years, but they’ve just started to be introduced in modern fashion. Espadrilles is a wonderful summer, spring, and fall shoes, but they tend to fall short in terms of professionalism and winter-worthiness.

Matching Thigh-Highs with Shoe Colors and Styles

I’ve learned that the key to knowing what shoes to wear with thigh-high socks is to consider the color and pattern of the socks. It’s important to choose shoes that complement the rest of your outfit without being overshadowed or washed out by your thigh-highs.

Striking this delicate balance can feel tough at first, but over time, it will come naturally.

Formal Style

When it comes to formal or professional outfits, I find it helpful to build my ensemble first without the thigh-highs and then add them in afterward. However, for more fun, colorful, casual outfits, you can design them around your thigh-highs or a specific article of clothing.

Sweater dresses, for example, are an extremely popular fashion trend to wear during the chillier fall months. Warm, knit thigh highs are an excellent pairing for these sweater dresses! Pick out the color and design of your sweater dress first, then choose a pair of thigh-highs that will look good with the dress.

Next, choose accessories that will complete the above look. In this case, I consider shoes to be accessories, so you should pick them during this step, too. Let’s assume that the sweater dress you chose is an understated black dress for simplicity’s sake. Black matches just about anything, so your choice of thigh-high socks would be limited only by your destination.

Fancy Dinner

Are you going to a fancy dinner? Stay away from patterned thigh-highs, but some darker colors are still acceptable. As long as your thigh-high choice isn’t too dark, a pair of black boots or heels should match perfectly with your ensemble. Alternatively, if you want to lighten things up a bit, such as for a holiday celebration, you could brighten your outfit with metallic booties, chunky silver jewelry, and flannel-look thigh-highs.

As a general rule, black shoes are your best bet to match with any thigh-highs, including black ones. However, white shoes are incredibly versatile, as well. White shoes tend to work better with saturated, bright colors, while black shoes work best with desaturated and dark colors.

You can flip these color sets to achieve the same results with shoes. Dark thigh-high socks work well with patterned shoes, and white thigh-highs go with almost anything.

From a style perspective, thigh-highs aren’t overly restrictive. As long as your thigh-highs are appropriate for your event or destination, you should be able to build an outfit that utilizes them. Since all thigh-highs are shaped virtually the same, you have to use other metrics to determine their style, such as:

Material
Weave or knit
Color
Pattern

Choosing the Right Thigh-High Socks for Your Outfit

While thigh-highs can be worn with virtually anything, there are a few styles that showcase the attributes of thigh-highs the best.

Skirt & Dresses

One of these styles is skirts and dresses. Short skirts and dresses that end above your thigh-highs help give off a playful vibe. The movement of the skirt draws attention to your thigh-high stockings, too.

Another bonus of wearing thigh-high stockings with dresses and mini skirts is the way thigh-highs elongate the legs. Thigh-highs would give the illusion of long, shapely legs, even if you didn’t have them before! As such, people who felt previously uncomfortable showing off their legs in a short dress might feel more confident with the help of some thigh-highs.

Shorts

Shorts are another excellent pairing for thigh-high socks –, especially denim! You will need to choose shorts that are relatively short, as it’s imperative that they don’t meet with the tops of your thigh-highs, but as long as that prerequisite is met, it’s nearly guaranteed that the two will look good together.

Denim shorts are particularly attractive with good thigh-high stockings, especially if you carry the denim theme throughout your whole outfit. High-waisted shorts are winners, too. High-waisted shorts also work to elongate the appearance of your leg, so the end result is an extra-long, shapely leg silhouette.

Rompers & Short Jumpsuits

If you can find them, rompers and short jumpsuits can be worn with thigh-highs, too! In the wintertime, though, consider wearing your thigh-highs over warm leggings. While you might not initially think to wear your thigh-highs over something else, this is a great way to show off your favorite pair while still keeping your legs toasty and warm.

Thigh-high stockings work best when paired with short articles of clothing that do not meet the socks themselves. However, there are some exceptions to this rule, such as with leggings.

Thigh-High Alternative: Knee-High Socks

When thigh-high socks are too sexy or just not an option, consider checking whether knee-high socks will work! Knee-high socks, whether to the knee or over the knee, are slightly more innocent than thigh-high. As such, they can sometimes be workable in places where thigh-highs are inappropriate. The workplace can be an example of this.

Knee-high socks can be worn in much the same way that thigh-high socks can. The only real difference is their length! For the most part, knee-high socks tend to be more serious than thigh-high, and they come in more serious designs as a result. However, this isn’t a bad thing; if you keep a supply of both, you can have a stash of professional-looking knee-highs ready for whenever you can’t wear your thigh-highs!

Thigh-High Alternative: Full Tights

Full tights are a modest alternative to both thigh-highs and knee-highs. Like leggings, they go all the way to the hips, so unless they’re designed with cutouts, there should be no skin showing when you wear them. When you’re in an environment where showing skin is not appropriate, a pair of tights may be the alternative you need. Think of events such as:

Church functions or masses
Holiday dinners with older family members
School-related events or meetings
Job interviews
Conservative venues

While full tights aren’t quite as versatile or fun as thigh-high or knee-high socks, they get the job done. Moreover, they’re the most acceptable out of all three options; there’s unlikely to be an event where you can’t wear full tights unless you’ve been specifically asked to wear pants. Full tights come in fewer designs than thigh-highs, but they’re still available in plenty of different colors and patterns.

Leggings are the casual cousin of full tights. A good pair of leggings should fit the same way a pair of tights do, but they tend to be made of different materials. Leggings also come in many more patterns than full tights, and they’re not as well-suited to formal events. Tights also have the option of being slightly sheer, while leggings usually do not.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Wearing Thigh-High Socks

I’ve learned from experience that there are a few common mistakes to avoid when styling them.

Thigh-highs Too Tight

First, it’s essential to make sure you choose the right size. Thigh-highs that are too tight can be uncomfortable and even cause circulation issues, while ones that are too loose may not stay up properly. It’s important to find a pair that fits snugly but doesn’t constrict your legs.

Thigh-highs Too Short

Another mistake to avoid is wearing thigh-highs that are too short. Socks that don’t reach high enough up your thighs can look awkward and unflattering, especially if you’re wearing them with a skirt or shorts. Make sure to choose thigh-highs that reach at least mid-thigh or higher for the most flattering and stylish look.

Thigh-highs Too Bold

Finally, it’s important to be careful when choosing bold patterns or colors. While brightly-colored or patterned thigh-highs can be fun and playful, it’s easy to go overboard and end up with a look that’s too busy or clashy. Instead, try to pair bold thigh-highs with simple, solid-colored outfits to balance out the look and let the socks be the focal point.

Conclusion

In the end, thigh-highs are an incredibly versatile accessory to add to your style arsenal. If you’re a fan of them, you can create a style and outfit for virtually any occasion with the help of some thigh-highs! As long as you know what shoes to pair them with, your thigh-high adventures will have no limit!

It’s hard to describe what shoes go with thigh-highs best, though. This is because there are so many different styles, patterns, and materials from which to choose. One style of stockings might look innocent and cozy, while another might look flirty and sexy without changing all that much.

The best answer we can give is to follow logical style rules and to go with your gut! Don’t double up on patterns, for example, and don’t wear colors that clash with each other or wash each other out. If your outfit looks pleasing to your eye, the chances are that others will like it, too.

Finally, thigh-highs have two limitations: appropriateness and height. They don’t go well with long dresses or pants (except for leggings), and they may be a bit too flirty for some venues. Those limitations aside, though, thigh-high stockings make an excellent styling accessory, and they expand your wardrobe like nothing else – you just have to know how to use them!

Understanding Thigh-High Socks: Materials, Colors, and Patterns

Materials

Colors

Patterns

Choosing the Right Thigh-High Socks for Your Body Type and Style