I remember the time I first discovered joggers. It was a lazy Saturday afternoon and I was reading about this newest trend in town called “athleisure”
All the style channels I follow were talking about it, and joggers seemed to be at the center of them all. Naturally, I devoured plenty of guides (and then some more) about this intriguing member of the sweatpants family and then decided to buy my first pair.
Since then, Joggers have basically been my go-to pants for lounging at home, going to the gym, and running errands. With their tapered shape and that signature elastic at the bottom, it provides a silhouette I very much enjoy, thanks to my recent love for everything tailored and fitted
Over time, I’ve figured out certain shoes that work best with joggers, and that’s what this article is about
Joggers are surprisingly versatile for a pair of athletic pants – you can wear joggers with a lot of casual shoes in your wardrobe, and some semi-formal ones too. Sneakers are often the first shoe style that comes to mind, but there are more. Since joggers are athletically inspired, the best shoes to wear with joggers will also be the ones that are sporty or look like it. Low-cuts as well as high-cut match well with joggers
Let’s get started then. Here are the 9 best types of shoes to wear with joggers, from most athletic to the least
Best Shoes To Wear With Joggers
#1: Running Shoes
Okay, this is no shocker. Running shoes look GREAT with Joggers, and for obvious reasons
Running.. Jogging… Jogg-ers.. Get it?
The best thing about wearing joggers with running shoes is that you don’t have to worry about the colour of your shoes. We’re going sporty-max here, guys.
Blue-and-Black – great, go ahead! Bright orange? Awesome, why not!
Just ensure that if your shoes *are* a bright colour, the joggers balance them by being neutral. At each point of time, we should have only one thing about our outfit that’s a statement
Wear these: to run, of course! or even errands, really. I leave it up to you.
#2: Gym / CrossFit Shoes
Out of all 9 pairings mentioned in this article, I love the combination of gym / CrossFit shoes and joggers the most. There is something about the hard soles and heel drop of such shoes that just complements the joggers really well.
Unfortunately, some shoes are meant strictly for the gym so you can’t wear them anywhere else 🙁
I promise that you will look on point at the iron temple though 😉
(unless you’ve just finished working out and are hot and sweaty. All bets are off them)
There are some workout shoes that you might be able to wear outside the gym too, though. The squat shoes pictured above are my main gym shoes, so at times I wear these Project Rocks (below) for walks or short errands nearby
Wear these: to the gym, and for walks (crossfit shoes are multi-purpose)
#3: Plain Canvas Sneakers
We can’t miss out on sneakers when talking about shoes that you can wear with joggers. This is where we move away from sporty to casual, which gives us even more options to style joggers
Sneakers are such a wide category, that I had to reserve three different points for it! This one is specifically about canvas sneakers
Since sneakers and joggers will be casual, you can still get away with many colours if the overall design is not too loud. The same tip applies – keep your joggers neutral with edgy sneakers and vice-versa
Wear these: to run errands, get coffee, short trips around town, etc.
#4: Converse Sneakers (Special Mention)
My converse sneakers were reserved for the gym before I got squat shoes – never wore them for anything else
And although I would never recommend converse sneakers to you otherwise, they shoes do work well with jogger pants
Chuck Taylors are a great match and come in a variety of classic colours, which gives you the freedom to style them your way
These low-top shoes are meant for the sockless look (more on that later) and you can rock them with joggers for many casual occasions
Wear these: to hang out with friends over the weekend, for casual brunches, or even the gym
#5: White / Black Leather Sneakers
If you’d like to dress up those joggers but don’t want to compromise on the easy and comfort of sneakers – then leather is the perfect choice
Black and White are both classic colours that will go with everything. On days I’m relaxing at home and too lazy to change into anything else, I’ll wear my white sneaks with joggers if I have to head out. From the couch to the street looking uber cool in minutes
If you want to take it up a notch, opt for black sneakers when going out after sundown
Wear these: anywhere casual. You know the drill
#6: Driving / Boat shoes
If we were to categorize all the shoe styles here in terms of formality, Driving / Boat shoes would be called as ‘smart-casual’
Or not. Who knows, with all these terms they keep coming up with 😛
Anyway, Boat shoes are definitely smart, and they look the part when worn with joggers
Wear these: when driving (okay I’m being too Captain Obvious) or for a grocery run. Boat shoes will work in all the same situations as sneakers as well
#7: Espadrilles
Espadrilles are relaxed and super casual shoes that are perfect for the warm weather.
I like to call them slippers’ better-looking brother – because they’re just as convenient and comfortable but also unique
These canvas slip-on shoes are a refreshing take on jogger-shoe pairings, so if you don’t have them already you should go buy them! Just make sure the fit of your joggers is perfect as oversized pants will throw off the entire look
Wear these: on a day out in the sun. Espadrilles are great for lounging so you can wear them at home as well
#8: Tassel Loafers
This is where we get slightly dressy. Tassel Loafers look at home, but only with the right pair of joggers
Look for joggers that look somewhat like chinos. Even if you have regular ones, this should work as long as the jogger fit is tapered and there is no material sagging
Wear these: in semi-formal / smart-casual settings. The dressy nature of the loafers will be out-of-place in an overly casual environment
#9: Black Brogued Dress shoes (?)
Okay, I’ll agree – dress shoes and joggers don’t sound like an ideal combination.
Honestly, I thought the same, but while researching for this post there were a few dress shoe looks that were interesting. The brogueing probably helps to tone it down
So I tried them on, and below are the results: you can decide for yourself. And if you think it looks cool, let me know!
Oh and just like the converse low-tops, sockless would be better here. We wouldn’t want to do anything to *add* to the formality of these shoes
Wear these: when you’re feeling adventurous and want to dress-up jogger pants. To the movies, or for that dinner date, maybe?
Now that you know shoes you can wear with joggers, here are two shoes that you absolutely shouldn’t
Shoes You Should Avoid With Joggers
#1: Slippers
Technically not shoes, but I had to mention them here.
They’re okay at home, but when outside, avoid slippers like the plague. Please. At best, you can wear them with shorts when going swimming, or to the beach.
#2: Sandals
With slippers topping the list of shoes you shouldn’t wear with joggers, sandals had to follow
My views are the same here. Do.not.wear.sandals. There are always better styles out there, and these open-toed shoes are not one of them
Sockless – To Be Or Not To Be
This will always be a debatable topic, but here are my two cents on it:
Should you be wearing socks with joggers?
Yes. With the exception of Espadrilles and some Driving / Boat shoes, all other shoes should always be worn with socks: be it full length or no show
Should you rock the sockless look?
Now, that’s the better question. Yes of course you should, if you want to.
It’s mainly a matter of preference.
In almost all situations, I feel more comfortable wearing socks. With joggers, it depends on the look I’m going for. Tassel loafers and Converse low-top sneakers will definitely benefit from the sockless look, though.
Try both and see what you’re comfortable (and confident) with. These two things will matter the most
Joggin’ Your Memory!
I hope this style guide was helpful.
There are so many ways and so many shoes out there that you could wear with joggers, but these are the basic rules. They will help you decide further, the next time you’re choosing a pair of shoes. Bookmark the post to easily get back to it the next time 😉
I’d love to hear if you had a favourite from these 9 shoe styles, so please let me know in the comments below
