Knowing which shoes to wear with jeans can be daunting. But get it right and you can elevate your style to new heights. Jeans and shoes can complement each other perfectly, or it can be a total fashion disaster!

In my search to find the best shoes to wear with jeans, my criteria were simply to find a wide range of shoes and explain what type of jeans they can be paired with. What we want to do in this section is unpack and explain some of the types of shoes shown in this list.

Sneakers –
Made for casual occasions, sneakers are the king of cool and the number one choice to wear with jeans. They’re perfect for social outings such as days out sightseeing, eating out at your favorite restaurant, or time well spent hanging out with friends.

Sneakers, generally, come in two types: low-top or high-top. They can, generally, be worn with or without socks, depending on the weather. If you want to cheat and still achieve the no-socks summer look, wear a pair of sneaker socks, which are short enough to be hidden by your low-top sneakers. Otherwise, match the color of your socks with your jeans whilst wearing sneakers; it’ll enhance your look.

Hiking Boots –
When wearing hiking boots with jeans, there are only a couple of rules to follow. Get these basics right and you’ll have all-day long comfort, and a versatile shoe that you can wear for walks in the city or countryside.

Boat Shoes –
These types of shoes tend to work well with dark, slim fit jeans and no socks. I chose Sperry Top-Sider boat shoes for the top ten list because of their simple and luxurious style. Judge all of your boat shoes by their standards and you won’t go wrong. Remember to keep your ankles bare when wearing boat shoes. But if you don’t want them to smell like a cheese factory in the height of summer, wear no-show socks to soak up your feet’s sweat. Sounds nasty, but you’ll thank me for it later.

Slip-on –
With no laces to bother with, slip-on shoes are all about ease of use. With this in mind, it’s worth keeping a pair of slip-on shoes by the front door for convenience’s sake; so, you can look cool, even if you’re only rushing out to the store for a carton of milk. Skechers are perfect for these sorts of occasions, as they’re light and super comfortable. What they lack in style, they make up for in features. Skechers, also, go really well with pretty much any type of outfit. Slim-fitted jeans, tee-shirt, and slip-on shoes are a simple but effective combo.

If you’re looking for a pair of fashion slip-on loafers, there are plenty of different styles to choose from. From tassel to penny loafers, the choices can be overwhelming. Just remember to keep ankles bare, and outfit casual smart with a polo or collared shirt, sleeves rolled up.

Doc Martens –
Doc Martens are in a total league of their own and were an easy addition to add to the list. Kurt Cobain popularized them during the grunge music era. Sid Vicious, also, rocked a pair of Doc’s when Punk ruled supreme.

During the Kurt Cobain era, Doc Martens were, generally, worn with ripped jeans in a carefree way. Today the look is still valid and can be updated with darker jeans in a straight leg style. If you’re looking for a more hipster chic look, grab your ripped skinny jeans out of the cupboard; pair with a fitted tee and your chunkiest scarf.

The big question for this list was which style? Doc Martens have, certainly, moved with the times and offer up different varieties for different tastes. However, since the majority of the shoes on this list are classic styles, I decided to go back to the beginning: the classic steel toecap, black boot with yellow stitching. They’re sturdy and versatile, and pretty much go well with most things. Something to bear in mind is that because of their sturdiness; wear thick socks to avoid blisters.

Brogues –
Modern brogue styles can trace their history to the age-old fields of Ireland, where the holes in the shoes were designed to allow water to drain, as the wearer crossed damp fields and bogs.

Today, you’ll find a variety of different styles of brogues. They, generally, fall into two categories: Full Brogues (or Wing Tips), and Semi or Half Brogues.

Half brogues are where the decorative holes only reach as far as the toecap, whereas, in the full brogue style, the decorative holes stretch around to the side of the shoe; thus, the reason for the name Wing Tips. The shoes are often called Oxford style, however, it takes a doctorate to understand when this is or isn’t the case. The one thing we can know for sure is that brogues go really well with jeans. Aim to wear with skinny or slim styles to really complement the look. Jeans rolled up are a really popular style to go with brogues in the summer, just remember to keep the ankles bare and leave the white socks at home.

Your personality matters when matching shoes to jeans. We can tell you all day long how blue jeans look good with white sneakers, but if you do not feel good in that color scheme, then it is the wrong style and appearance for you.

I remember back when I was in school, torn blue jeans (not purchased that way) and either white or black sneakers were the norms. Someone had purchased me a pair of very loud sneakers, neon green, and the whole nine yards. I was so upset that I thought I would die when going to school that following Monday. My life was over in the seventh grade, I just knew it. Oddly enough, when I returned to school, I had nothing but compliments on my fashion decision. Of course, I took all of the credit for this genius move. It was, however, a lucky mistake that if I had the choice, I would have worn black or white sneakers, but my new fan-base didn’t need to know that part.

Later, looking back, I have come to realize that it wasn’t the color of the shoes that caused the compliments. Instead, the shoes complimented my loud and outgoing personality. The person who purchased these shoes knew this about me, thus the purchase was geared to my personality. Because of this, I flew the flag of jean and shoe delight like a champion, and others responded to it.

At the end of the day, there aren’t too many shoes that actually look bad with jeans, per se. I have seen women wear evening shoes with jeans and sport the pairing with utter beauty and grace, with just the right touch of casual appeal. Furthermore, these same shoes would look grand with a dress, as well.

The point is you must evaluate your personality. You need to evaluate what you enjoy and love. Would you rather wear sneakers with your jeans, a pair of boots, or a dashing set of pumps? After deciding this, then it is a matter of taste and preference. Contrasting colors can be just as beautiful and be inviting as a matching tone color scheme. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, as this is your life; and that is far more important than a fashion designer’s pointing finger.

Ask yourself, “What do you like?” This is the single most important question when determining the best shoes with jeans, as you are the one whose personality will shine through the masterful choice of color, design, style, and fashion that you, yourself, have chosen to show to the rest of us. And for that, we thank you.

The first thing people look at when shopping for new shoes is often the brand. While brand name doesn't always dictate the quality of the shoe, it often is an indication of what to expect when it comes to the other criteria mentioned above, like durability, comfort, and materials used.

When we looked at options for this list, we definitely kept in mind brands that are known to take comfort and durability seriously because it's of the utmost importance when you're walking on a hard surface like concrete.

You might notice that many of the brands are top brands from companies that have a reputation everyone knows. With that being said, be sure to look at all of our options, whether they are big names or not, because they are great choices when you want to make sure your feet are well taken care of.

To assess each of the products on our list for durability, we not only read through thousands of customer reviews on our recommended products, but we also looked for some of the hallmarks of quality construction. From brand name reputation to their initial smell out of the box, there are a few ways of identifying a well-built, made-to-last product.

The Details
A zipper that doesn’t zip or snaps? Poor threading technique? A smelly, chemical residue on the shoe when you open the box? All these details were looked for an evaluated when assigning a score for durability.

Materials
Certain materials last longer than others, even if that comes at the expense of a higher score in the “comfort” criterion. Materials that are synthetic, thicker and firmer tend to score higher on durability.

Product Purpose
A shoe made for running and high-impact sports will not likely last as long as a good pair of general activity shoes and that’s okay. Being aware of the shoe’s purpose is critical for you as a reader and for us as a reviewer. Although shoes that will last longer score higher on this criterion, you might also see high scores to shoes with a more limited durability, if that product was specifically designed for certain purposes that involve high-impact and high-stress motions. We take into account the type of shoes you are trying to purchase when assigning scores to shoes in this criterion.

Brand Name
A product is a promise made, but a brand is a promise kept. A brand name is often a signal of quality and consistency in construction and durability from product to product. Although there are always exceptions to this rule, quite often brands that perform continue to perform. Brand names on our list tend to score higher in the durability score.

The price of a shoe can sometimes be a deal breaker. That’s part of the reason why footwear manufacturers invest time and energy into creating cost-effective technologies to incorporate into their shoes to make them durable, long-lived, versatile, and inexpensive.

Durability & Longevity
Footwear, usually, lasts more than a few months, because shoes that are going to fall apart after a few months of use aren’t worth the investment of more than a few dollars. Leather and synthetic overlays can be used to make the shoes more durable without sacrificing flexibility. Firm leather or synthetic uppers provide durability and support.

Versatility
Great footwear can be used for more than one activity. Walking and running shoes, for example, can be used in some casual sports. Stylish athletic footwear could be used in informal work environments. Sandals can be used in casual and semi-formal settings. The more situations you can use the shoe in, the more value it offers for the price.

Maintenance
Good footwear is easy to maintain and clean. They don’t require a lot of expensive shoe treatments or time-consuming upkeep. Shoes that need a lot of effort, time and money to maintain, don’t sell as well as shoes which are easier and cost less to keep.

Removable inserts
As mentioned earlier, removable inserts in footwear make it customizable, but that’s not the only bonus to removable inserts. Removable inserts increase the longevity of the shoe, which is why some come with removable inserts.

Cost
A hefty price tag can be a deal-breaker for people on a budget. That’s why many can be found in the low-to-middle price range. They’re affordable, and if they are priced a little higher than others, then they offer many features to make the footwear worth the extra investment.