Given the popularity of jeans, it is somewhat surprising how many men wear the wrong shoes with them. Men either sport athletic shoes that belong at the gym (not with jeans), or their dress shoes (which are better suited to slacks). You know my favorite shoes with jeans are chukka boots, but listed below are my favorite men’s casual shoes you can wear with jeans. Notice that I explain when to wear each shoe — this is in reference to the type of jeans you are wearing. The wider the pants you wear, the bigger your shoes should be to even out the proportion. Basically, slim, lightweight shoes go with slim jeans, while heavier, more voluminous shoes go with wider jeans.
Note: You may notice there are now way more than 10 pairs of shoes that I am recommending in this post. That’s because due to its popularity, I regularly update it with the best, in-stock men’s casual shoes you can wear with jeans.
Cole Haan GrandPro Low Top Sneaker
Cole Haan $82.50–$150.00
I RARELY find a good olive green shoe! If you have read my post on the most versatile jacket color you know this is a versatile color. But I will point out this shoe is a muted olive green versus a rich olive green. It will complement your olive green and brown outerwear perfectly if they are also muted. It pairs beautifully with medium to light wash blue jeans, as well as jeans in medium to light browns and tans.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Also works with shorts.
Ecco Soft 7 Street Sneaker
Ecco $159.95 $104.11
A suede shoe has a bit of bulk to it and works best in the fall. I love pairing these with rich tan jeans, brighter olive green jeans, and burgundy jeans. This shoe is available at Amazon and Ecco.
When to Wear: Works best with straight leg jeans.
Seavees Monterey Sneaker
Seavees $68
This is one of my favorite shoes for skinnier denim looks because it’s a slim sneaker and needs a very slim pant. It is also one of the few shoes on this list that can go well with light wash jeans. This shoe is available at Nordstrom, Amazon and Zappos.
When to Wear: Works best with slim leg jeans and I love it with shorts — no socks, please.
Ecco Soft 7 City Sneaker – Titanium
ECCO $159.95
My clients are absolutely loving the Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker. It is insanely comfortable, and as you will see below it comes in an array of colors — there’s an option for every wardrobe. This shoe is available at Nordstrom, Amazon, and Ecco.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans.
Nothing New Men’s Deluxe
Nothing New $160
This is a great sneaker that’s environmentally friendly as it’s made from upcycled and sustainable materials. A client recommended these to me, and now I recommend them to you. This gorgeous color will pair with black jeans, grey jeans and, of course, blue jeans.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans.
Good Man Brand Classic Legend London Sneaker
Good Man Brand $228
These shoes have a mahogany leather top and a crisp white bottom. This can appear contradictory, but if you like to wear a lot of cool and warm tones together, this is the shoe that can unite those tones. Pair them with dark brown, dark green, and dark blue jeans. These shoes are available at Nordstrom and Zappos.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans.
Good Man Brand Modern London Low Top Sneaker
Good Man Brand $125.40–$228.00
I love this gorgeous green. Notice how rich the color is. This means you do not want to pair it with muted or dull colors. Instead, pair these sneakers with rich browns and tans, rich burgundy, and dark blue jeans.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. You also wear them with shorts.
CLAE Bradley Sneaker – Cashew Brown Leather
CLAE $160
Clae always makes the best weight shoes. This rich tan is super versatile. You can wear this with medium to dark wash jeans, almost any green jeans, light tan jeans, and dark brown jeans. They can probably go with most burgundies as well.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. You also wear them with shorts.
CLAE Bradley Sneaker – Cafe Nubuck
CLAE $150
This moody bark brown shoe can work with medium blue jeans, earthy beige, and dark green jeans.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans.
Ecco Street Lite Retro Sneaker
Ecco $129.95 – $139.95
This is a rich black, so I want you to pair it with rich black outerwear. You can also pair it with rich green jeans, dark burgundy jeans, dark grey jeans, and dark blue jeans. For the best look, make sure your dark blue jeans do not have a contrasting orange thread like these jeans by APC. This shoe is available at Nordstrom, Amazon and Zappos.
When to Wear: Works best with straight leg jeans.
Greats Royale Sneaker – Curio Leather
Greats $189
This rich tan pairs well with medium to dark wash jeans, any rich green jeans, beige jeans, and most burgundy jeans as well. This shoe is available at Nordstrom and Zappos.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans.
Johnston & Murphy Banks Sneaker – Navy
Johnston & Murphy $145
I love this shoe! It pairs beautifully with light wash blue jeans, any tan or beige jeans, and most olive green jeans. This shoe is available at Nordstrom, Amazon and Zappos.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans.
Mark Nason Palmilla Garian Slip-On Sneaker
Mark Nason $79.95
I love the casual vibe of these fabric sneakers. Pair them with light wash blue jeans, any tan or beige jean, and lighter green jeans. This shoe is available at Nordstrom, Amazon, and Zappos.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. You also wear them with shorts.
Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker – White
ECCO $159.95
Here’s that same Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker I mentioned above in white. It’s available at Nordstrom, Amazon, Ecco, and Zappos.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Also works with shorts.
Cole Haan GrandPro Rally Sneaker – Navy
Cole Haan $150
The perforated look of the Cole Haan GrandPro Rally Sneakers makes them one of the more casual options of the men’s casual shoes on this list. Pair them with this Johnston & Murphy Perforated Suede Belt for a coordinated look. This shoe is available at Nordstrom, Bloomingdale’s, Macy’s, Cole Haan, Zappos, and Amazon.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Can work with shorts, but I prefer a slightly slimmer shoe for shorts.
Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker – Dark Shadow
Ecco $159.95 $129.99
Do you have any idea how hard it is to find the right color grey in a sneaker? Of course, you do! Yet, here it is in all its majesty. Thank you again, Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker! This is truly a rare find. BUY THIS. It is available at Amazon and Ecco.
When to Wear: Works best with straight-leg jeans. It can work with shorts, but this leather feels a bit dressy for shorts.
Good Man Brand Edge Sneaker
Good Man Brand $102.97–$228.00
There are not enough casual tan sneakers for jeans, so this Good Man Brand option is a real find.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. The combination of the rich tan color and suede makes me want to skip it with shorts.
Cole Haan GrandPro Tennis Handstain Sneaker
Cole Haan $150
I don’t usually like full leather sneakers, but this Cole Haan GrandPro Tennis Handstain Sneaker is fantastic. This sneaker is available at Saks 5th Avenue, Zappos, and Cole Haan.
When to Wear: You can wear these men’s casual shoes with jeans. They look great with a rolled hem, straight leg, or slightly wider leg jeans. This leather is too dressy for shorts.
Good Man Brand Edge Sneaker – Natural Leather
Good Man Brand $288
The Good Man Brand Edge Sneaker in Natural Leather is a great off-white shoe choice. Pure white shoes are crisp, but everybody also needs an off-white shoe to go with their cream tees and muted garments. Allow me to explain… have you ever put a white shoe on with an off-white t-shirt? It looks, well, off, and makes the muted tee look dirty. Or, have you ever paired off-white sneakers with a bright white tee? The whiteness of the tee makes the shoes look dirty in this scenario. I think you get it. This shoe is available at Lord & Taylor and Zappos.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Also works with shorts.
Good Man Brand Legend Low Top Sneaker – White
Good Man Brand $228
I love the tan trim on this Good Man Brand Legend Low Top Sneaker in White — and the comfort is incredible. Enjoy!
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Can work with shorts, but this leather feels a bit dressy for shorts.
Olukai Kahu Pahana Sneaker
OluKai $130
The Olukai Kahu Pahana Sneaker has a special footbed that makes them very comfortable for walking around. This sneaker is available at Nordstrom and Amazon. Notice that they are more of a matte black — not shiny. I want you to avoid shiny black sneakers.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Also works with shorts.
Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker – Mahogany Leather
Ecco $160 $129.99
Here’s the Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker in a versatile Mahogany Leather. This is the top-rated sneaker and color for my clients right now. I can’t emphasize enough how much everyone is loving them. This shoe is available at Amazon and Ecco.
When to Wear: Works best with straight-leg jeans. It can work with shorts, but this leather feels a bit dressy for shorts.
Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker – Black
Ecco $99.99
This Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker in black is the shiniest I want you to go with a black sneaker. This shoe is available at Amazon and Ecco.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Can work with shorts, but this leather feels a bit dressy for shorts.
CLAE ‘Bradley’ Sneaker
CLAE $110
I love the grey wool of these CLAE ‘Bradley’ Sneakers. Pair them with medium blue jeans.
When to Wear: Works best with straight leg jeans to wider set jeans. Can also work with shorts if you know what you’re doing.
CLAE ‘Ellington’ Sneaker
CLAE $120
I love both colors the CLAE ‘Ellington’ Sneakers come in, but the butterscotch suede is great for lighter wash jeans. These sneakers are probably one of my favorites of the men’s casual shoes you can wear with jeans.
When to Wear: These look best with skinny, slim, or leaner jeans. They also work with shorts.
Cole Haan GrandPro Low Top Sneaker
Cole Haan $82.50–$150.00
What a treat to find a navy casual shoe that works with jeans. Pair this with khaki, burgundy, or olive green jeans. Don’t pair it with blue jeans — it will look too blueberry.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Also works with shorts.
Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker – Mocha
Ecco $159.95
Oh look, here’s the Ecco Soft 7 Sneaker, again, in a deep mocha brown. This sneaker is available at Nordstrom and Ecco.
When to Wear: Works best with straight-leg jeans. Can work with shorts, but I prefer a slightly slimmer shoe for shorts.
Cole Haan GrandPro Rally Sneaker
Cole Haan $160
I absolutely adore this perfect milk chocolate shade of the Cole Haan GrandPro Rally Sneakers. These shoes will look amazing next to medium blue jeans.
When to Wear: These sneakers work best with slim to straight leg jeans. They can work with shorts, but I prefer a slightly slimmer shoe for shorts.
Men’s Casual Shoes From Years Past
I originally wrote this post years ago and update it regularly due to its popularity. I’ve left these photos below for nostalgic purposes. Whenever I update older posts, I love to hold on to a collection of images as a bit of a time capsule so we can watch how our style evolves.
BP Venice Low-Top Sneaker
BP $99.95 $59.96
I love how smooth and not-shiny this BP Venice Low-Top Sneaker is. It pairs perfectly with midnight navys and blacks.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Also works with shorts.
Cole Haan GrandPro AM Waterproof Golf Sneaker
Cole Haan $150
When to Wear: The Cole Haan GrandPro AM Waterproof Golf Sneaker works best with straight-leg jeans. It can also work with shorts, but I prefer a slimmer shoe for shorts.
J&M Est. 1850 Allister Nubuck Lace Up Sneaker
J&M Est. 1850 $54.99 – $145
I am always looking for grey men’s casual shoes you can wear with jeans. Finally, I found my favorite: the J&M Est. 1850 Allister Nubuck Lace Up Sneaker in a medium grey.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Doesn’t look great with shorts.
Sperry Wahoo Baja CVO Sneaker
Sperry $55
These Sperry Wahoo Baja CVO Sneakers are delightfully lightweight and great for warm weather.
When to Wear: Works best with skinny, slim, or leaner jeans. Look amazing with shorts.
Trask Aaron Sneaker
Trask $195
These Trask Aaron Sneakers are one of my favorite leather sneakers. They are not too shiny and the texture adds dimension. These sneakers are available at Nordstrom.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. Can also work with shorts.
CLAE Bradley Sneaker – Perla Grey Leather
CLAE $150
I love this grey with light wash jeans, off-white jeans, and muted olive green jeans.
When to Wear: Works best with slim to straight leg jeans. You also wear them with shorts.
