Can You Wear Oxford Shoes With Jeans?

Learn how you can pair denim and smart footwear like Oxford shoes seamlessly, day in, day out. The days of smart attire seem like a distant memory. Smart-Casual is taking over!

So, Can you wear Oxford shoes with jeans? Surprisingly, yes!

While the smarter appearance of suit trousers seems like the obvious complement to a pair of formal footwear, jeans have the ability to paint a whole different impression altogether.

In fact, dress shoes and jeans are the perfect combinations for a date or slightly more relaxed business meeting, as they strike a balance between formal and practical; with jeans now considered as semi-formal, with many cuts to compliment the smarter look, it only makes sense to make sure your formal footwear, fits any occasion.

However, to pull this look off, there are three things every gentleman must consider.

Choose the right style of jeans

There are various types of jeans out there, but where do you start?

While all jeans are classed as casual attire, there are certain styles that appear smarter and more appropriate for dress shoes.

For instance, ripped jeans, distressed jeans and ones with a lighter wash will never go with a nice pair of dress shoes.

Ideally, you need jeans that fit well around the waist and taper off at the bottom. Baggy fitting and boot cut jeans will look odd, so choose skinny, skinny stretch and tapered jeans.

In regards to colour, dark blues and black jeans are your best bet, as these will go with a lot more colours.

(Above: Percy Stride Noontide Black and White Oxfords £250)

Remember, you need to create a bit of contrast between the dress shoes and jeans, or everything will look odd. Examples of this include dark blue jeans with brown shoes, dark black jeans with light black shoes or dark blue jeans with black shoes.

(Above: Percy Stride Handmade Men's Chestnut Two-Tone Oxfords £250)

Wear the right type of dress shoes with jeans

Oxford shoes aren’t always renowned for their casual styling. However, our range of classic handmade Oxfords has subtle touches like embossing which gives them a bit more character.

We wanted to create a shoe that is versatile and can look just as good with a pair of jeans as it does with a suit.

Our Albus Monk shoes provide a slightly unique and casual twist too – so it might be worth considering them.

Alternatively, the shape, construction, and vamp placement of loafers or a Derby dress shoe make them suitable for jeans too.

Find the right balance

One of the most important elements of matching dress shoes and jeans is to pay attention to the whole package.

For example, a smart pair of dress shoes will elevate a pair of jeans, so don’t bring the whole outfit down with a t-shirt or sweatshirt. Instead, think granddad's shirt, dress shirt, and blazer (if applicable).

(Above: Percy Stride Midnight Blue Oxfords £265)

Accessories should also be simple but stylish. A silver watch and pocket square in a blazer are subtle but brilliant ways of adding cohesion to your whole appearance.

As a word of warning, if you are slightly larger, the dress shoe and jeans combination might make your feet look very small and your midsection large. So it’s important to cover up your midsection with a blazer or a well-cut sports jacket to restore a balance between your top and bottom.

If you have the perfect jeans ready but can't decide on which Percy Stride's are for you try our blog : Which Percy Stride shoes are right for you?