Formality is all about sobriety, conformity, and respect – which is why it is most expected in situations that demand those very traits – such as business meetings, high-end parties, weddings, and funerals.
Although jeans, chinos, shorts and other casual wear are great to have, a few pairs of formal/dress pants will class-up any wardrobe. Even if you don’t live in formal clothing the whole year, there’ll usually be at least a few occasions when you have to wear dress pants. And with that, come a few other decisions – one of them being what shoes to wear.
For all such times, I’ve got you covered; no read to recollect everything from scratch when deciding the shoes that go with formal trousers.
The best shoes to wear with formal pants are almost always formal shoes. Think Oxfords and Derbys, and then some more. Yes, there are some other dress shoe options too, and boots can also look good with the right type of dress trousers. Dressing down dress pants with sneakers is another look that’s trending these days, but I have some opposing thoughts on the issue and think that they shouldn’t be worn together. Read on to learn more..
There are a few concepts about pants in general that we’ll get out of our way before doing the shoe-talk. Think of it as a bonus, like icing on the cake 😀
What Are Formal/Dress Pants
The terms ‘formal’ and ‘dress’ are used interchangeably when we talk about style and clothing.
So formal shoes are dress shoes, and dress pants are basically formal pants – but what actually constitutes a pair of trousers to be ‘dress pants’? This is a question that has troubled me for years, and I’ve only begun to understand the differences to form an answer
Put simply, dress pants are a pair of trousers that are
- not jeans (that one’s obvious lol)
- smooth to the touch (so not chinos)
- made out of wool, or a blended fabric like polyster (not 100% cotton)
- generally ironed with a front / center crease
There you go! Hopefully that clears it up. Let’s continue further
A Short Note About Pant Breaks
Another concept that is necessary to talk about, especially since we’re discussing shoes – is the break of your pants. There are 3 types – full break, half break (or medium break) and no break
Source: Proper Cloth
The break of your pants will decide how they look around the ankles, and also how much of your shoes are seen while standing or walking.
No-break will have a straight fall, and expose almost all of your shoes (and a little bit of socks, too) while other types of breaks will have your pants bunch just a little. The break that you choose depends on your personal preference and also your body type; certain breaks tend to flatter one body type more over the other.
He Spoke Style has a great article about pant breaks. Check it out here if you’d like to have more info about this
I personally get my pants tailored in the no-break to half-break range, and like it that way
3 Smart Tips On Wearing Shoes With Formal Pants
These guidelines will help you make better decisions as you choose the shoes you want to wear with those formal trousers
#1: Heavier The Pant Fabric, Chunkier The Shoe
All dress pants are smooth to the touch, but there are a variety of different weights they come in
Heavier wools and tweed are used in the winter while the lighter fabrics are better suited for the warmer parts of the year. The shoes that you’re wearing with lightweight pants should not be too heavy or bulky. Dress shoes with a trim outsole will serve the best for this purpose
On the other hand, with heavier pants you can get away with chunkier shoes like boots, because the heft of such shoes will match that of the pant fabric
#2: Match The Colour Of Shoes And Pants To Make Things Interesting
Okay, this might sound obvious to you when you first read it, but think again. Apart from black shoes with black/gray pants, when else have you matched the colour of your shoes with the pants?
I’m talking navy dress shoes with dark blue pants, or even oxblood oxfords with deep-red dress pants. Sure, brown pants with brown shoes too. Intrigued now?
Monochrome can be a great look with formals if you are comfortable and confident with it, so try this out the next time you want to have fun with your formal pants. And do tell me how it goes – with a bit of trial and error I’m sure you can pull it off.
Do you think wearing shoes and pants of the same colour will blend things too much though? Yes, it will. We still want to be able to recognize where the trousers end and the shoes begin 😛
But then, that’s why we have the next trick.
#3: Use Socks To Add A Hint Of Contrast
If you’re going with the previous tip but are concerned about looking like a walking block of single colour – this is an awesome way to break things up.
Socks can be a wonderful tool in your style arsenal. They not only add some personality to your outfits but in this case, also help break the outfit (only a little) so that the pant and shoe lines are not blurred
No break pants would be a wonderful combination here. Oh, the possibilities! *-*
Even when you’re not matching pants and shoes, socks can still help you add more contrast (or tone it down, depending on what you need)
I have an in-depth guide on wearing socks with formal shoes, it can help you ace your sock game B-)
7 Best Shoes To Wear With Formal Trousers
Now that we’re armed with all the necessary information to properly wear shoes with dress pants, here are 7 styles that are the perfect choices
Plain toe / Cap toe Oxfords
These are number three on our formality scale, which is why I’ve mentioned Oxfords here
If you don’t own a single pair of formal shoes, these are the first pair of shoes I’d suggest you buy. They are at home with formal pants (meant-to-be ;)) and will be more than enough for your suit needs as well
Regarding the colour, a darker shade like black, brown, or oxblood will be better than tan. This is because those dark colours will go with the most number of dress pants in your wardrobe, and tan or light shades of brown are not as versatile.
That is not to say that you can’t wear tan oxfords with formal pants; you totally can – but your choices of matching pants will be limited
Brogueing is not a limiting factor in this case. Unless you’re wearing these shoes with suits, a quarter or even half brogueing with a medallion should do just fine. For suits, stick to quarter brogueing to keep it minimal.
Plain toe / Cap toe Derbys
Wherever Oxfords go, Derbys do too. Even though ‘technically’ derbys are less formal than oxfords, I consider both of these shoes at par – they just have two separate styles, that’s all
For that very reason, Derbys with a plain toe or cap toe can also be worn with your formal pants just the way you would wear oxfords
You should opt for darker shades here too if it’s the first / second pair you’re buying. Once you’ve got a few go-to classics in your closet, then you can experiment with derbys in light / bright colours. Make sure you have the right colour of pants to wear them with, though
And just like oxfords, quarter or half brogueing is acceptable on derbys that are to be worn with formal pants
Pro tip: Switch up the lacing on the derbys to keep things fresh. These shoes have the unique ability to look great in both bar and cross lacing.
If you’re interested, this article will help you with it
Split toe Derbys
Split toe Derbys are a special mention, because they’re slightly different from plain / cap toe ones but still a classic style.
These derbys have an apron toe, which means that a separate piece of leather sewn on the vamp – similar to the design you’ll see on a pair of loafers. It’s a laced shoe with the open lacing system that is synonymous with the derby style.
Along with this, there’s the distinctive stitch that runs vertically in the front of the shoe – as if the toes were split in the middle – giving it the split-toe name
Maybe it’s the overall design, but I actually like these type of derbys over the other ones. They are a great match for formal trousers
Single / Double Monkstraps
If you’ve read my blog enough, by now you would’ve realsied my love for monkstraps. I don’t think there has been a single time I’ve talked about dress shoes without mentioning this beautiful shoe style
You can wear them with suits, or you can wear them with just the trousers without the jacket.
You can wear them in black, brown, oxblood and (yes!) tan too
And with single, double and even triple straps, you have a lot of options.
I’d keep the brogueing on the down low though. The straps are a great visual element by themselves, these shoes don’t need anything else
Ah, just buy them and wear them. You won’t be disappointed
Penny / Tassel Loafers
For them business casual vibes, loafers be the best choice
These are often a great way to dress down those formal pants, so you can look dapper and oh-so-chill at the same time
If you’re choosing to wear loafers with dress pants though, I’ve got a disclaimer for you: Avoid the sockless look.
Usually, dress pants are built in such a way that they show a large part of your leg when sitting down. And if you’re not wearing socks, showing that much skin looks weird and unprofessional
Also, I’d reserve the lighter colours for a pair of jeans. These are semi-formal by themselves and shouldn’t be dressed down further
Tan Wingtips
Here’s another favourite shoe of mine – tan wingtip derbys
These shoes are the least formal because of the colour, and then there’s the full brogueing too – which makes them a perfect candidate to briefly touch upon those concepts that were mentioned earlier.
You could wear these when wanting to dress down your dress pants – say an office lunch party with your shirt sleeves rolled up, or even drinks in the evening after work
Yes, they will be less formal than all the other shoes we discussed, be aware of that if you do decide to wear them with trousers. But I don’t see anything wrong with it – use your own discretion while making a choice
I personally enjoy wearing my tan wingtips quite often 🙂
Boots
Here’s the last shoe style that you can wear with formal pants: Boots
What kind of boots, you ask? All the non work boot styles – Chukkas, Chelseas, and dress boots
The thing about boots is that they’ll work especially well with heavier formal pants like tweed, that are for the winter. This is the reason jeans and boots are such a perfect combination – the heft of the boots matches the weight of the denim perfectly
If you still want to wear a pair of boots with lightweight dress pants, then go for Chelsea boots. Their trim and clean silhouette will look good with those pants
Your Favourite Shoe For Formal Pants
In this post, we have gone through seven different shoe options for you to wear with dress pants. Hopefully one (or more) of them strike your interest.
It is good to experiment with different looks; Oxfords and Derbys are always available as fallback options that will be suitable for most of your formal trouser needs.
Use this guide to see what you like, and let me know down below if you have a favourite 🙂
