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Love your grey pants but not sure what color shoes will go with them? Don’t worry, a lot of guys struggle to pair and wear their dress shoes with their medium grey pants for formal events. Here is how you can make a staple.
Luckily there isn’t really a shoe color that doesn’t go with grey, so it’s unlikely that your shoes will clash against your pants. However, there are definitely some options that particularly suit shades of grey and will elevate your overall style.
Grey pants are super versatile as they come in a range of materials and cuts, to suit any casual or formal occasion, and you can dress them accordingly with leather shoes or sneakers. Do you have a pair that you struggle to pair along and wear with the right shoes? To make things simple, here are four winning shoes and grey pants combos that any guy can pull off:
1. Brown Leather Boots With Grey Wool Pants
As the weather gets cooler you’ll want some grey pants in your wardrobe that are made from thick grey wool. We love grey pant in a subtle check that will look smart but be very wearable. It’s a well-known fact that just as a dark brown suit with black shoes will always work, so do grey suits, brown shoes, and a camel coat. Wear your grey wool suit with a pair of dark brown shoes in rich leather or light brown hazel suede for the perfect formal fall outfit. There are plenty of brown shoes to choose from, and any tone of brown shoe will go with all shades of grey. If you’re feeling adventurous you can opt for a particularly rich pair of dark brown shoes in a reddish oxblood shade or even a pair of leather burgundy shoes with your grey pants. If you’re wearing your grey pants as part of a suit and want to know what shirt and tie combinations to style them with, you need to check out our style guide here.
2. Sneakers With Grey Suit Pants
Buckle up, because this is about to become your favourite combination of shoes and grey pants. While grey suit pants can look incredibly formal if you pair them with patent shoes for the office, it’s incredibly easy to make them look semi-casual by wearing them with your favourite sneakers. This is the perfect look for drinks at the bar or even for your sunday morning brunch date and can be styled with a variety of sneaker types. We particularly like this look with light grey trousers and a lighter colored sneaker. To really make your shoes pop against your light grey pants, go for mustard colour sneakers and an ecru sock. Your grey pants should be tailored but not super tight, so you can move easily in them for a casual style. This is a great outfit for guys who want to branch out from their grey jeans.
3. Black Leather Shoes With Cropped Grey Pants
If you don’t know what color shoes go with grey pants, the answer is probably staring at you in the face – black. That’s right, your trusty black shoes will style beautifully with your new grey pants. The real secret here is to go for dark grey pants in a cropped length with black brogue type shoes and black socks. If you follow those simple style rules you’ll end up with a modern outfit that plays with the traditional grey trouser suit look. This style of outfit is perfect for creatives who need to look professional in formal environments but want to show off their fashion sense. The main thing to remember is to make sure your black socks reach all the way up to the hem of your dark grey trousers, you don’t want any slices of your calf poking through as this would ruin the silhouette.
4. Sneakers With Grey Jeans
Last but not least is this reliable and exceedingly wearable outfit of sneakers with grey jeans. I mean you really can’t get much comfier than grey pants made of soft denim and sports shoes, can you? While this is a very simple outfit look to pull off, you should avoid wearing your grey jeans with grey shoes, or you’ll run the risk of blending into the pavements and buildings of the urban landscape. Whether you prefer jeans in a light grey or more hard-wearing dark grey, fresh white shoes will make your trousers stand out and stop them from looking like just any old grey pants you’ve had sitting in your closet.
FAQ
1. What Do Light Grey Pants Go With?
This truly depends on the look and vibe that you’re going for. Do you want to achieve a business casual style, or are you aiming for a smart-casual look? In most cases, here is what you can go for and make it look stylish:
- Charcoal grey pants will look formal and perfect with your chinos. Aim for light brown shoes to make this look formal and appropriate for any dress code.
- Light grey pants and a simple white t-shirt and white sneakers will look amazing for daily wear and casual moments.
- During colder days and colder months, you can dress up your charcoal suits with brown boots or a pair of brown shoes which are made of thicker material.
- During the summer months, go with some cool pastel shades to attract looks, and stick to comfy footwear and loafers for stylish wear.
2. Is It OK To Wear Brown Shoes With Black Pants?
A lot of guys struggle when pairing up their clothes. Nowadays, you can make an endless amount of combinations with your chosen and purchased pieces. One of the most asked questions when going for a fancy fit and a cool combination is if you can wear your chosen light or dark brown shoes with black pants. The truth is that you can! This combination is quite elegant and formal, perfect for your fancy moments. Just make sure that you stick to this color combo all over from head to toe (nothing else would work as well with black and brown shades).
3. When To Wear Fancy Pants & Dress Shoes?
Another frequently asked question is the perfect timing and when you can wear a fancy suit. Nowadays, guys love to put a ton of effort into their outfits. Are you one of those guys yourself? If so, you will enjoy wearing suits quite often. There is no right time or proper time when to wear a suit and tie. In most cases, this is when men opt for this stylish combo:
- For date nights
- For weddings
- In clubs
- For your office hours & job interviews
- For funerals
- For proms
The only occasion where you can’t wear a fancy suit? When you’re doing sporty activities. In the end, it truly comes down to your age group, preference, and headed event.
What To Remember When Matching Your Grey Pants And Shoes
Hopefully, you’ve seen the light and can forget about that same old black pants with brown shoe combination that every other guy is wearing. It couldn’t be easier to wear your new grey trousers with the majority of shoes in your closet. Just make sure not to wear grey pants with grey shoes and we would suggest staying away from navy blue too, to avoid looking too preppy. If you’re wearing some more formal wool trousers, you’ll want to pair them with brown shoes, ideally leather boots in a dark brown. If you have a pair of burgundy shoes but have been stuck with what to style them with, we guarantee you’ll be impressed when you try them with your grey pants. If you’re wearing cropped grey pants with black brogue shoes, make sure you wear socks that are long enough to cover all of your ankles to avoid awkward gaps beneath the hem of your trousers. With these style rules, going grey never looked so good.