Skinny Jeans Are Out. So What Shoes Do You Wear With Non-Skinny Jeans?

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By now, you’ve likely caught wind of the fact that skinny jeans are over. The trend, spearheaded by millennials in the ’00s, was declared dead by TikTok last year. If you were a fan, I’m sorry for your loss. Of course, you can wear whatever jeans you please — more power to you if you rage against the Gen Z machine — but since the youngest generation is the one with the fastest growing economic power, there’s a good chance that the vast selection of skinny jeans you’ve grown accustomed to seeing in stores won’t be around for much longer. And when that happens, one question will inevitably follow: What shoes do you wear with jeans that aren’t skinny?

Finding shoes to go with the tight-fitting silhouette was simple: Heeled booties, over-the-knee boots, or pumps, if you’re a heels person; ballet flats or low-top trainers, if you weren’t. But these days, when footwear trends range from chunky loafers to even chunkier clogs, skinny jeans can feel like an odd pairing. Just think about the proportions. Throw on a pair of slightly baggy — but fitted in the butt and waist — vintage jeans, though, and just about every on-trend shoe style of the season is a perfect match, no matter how bulky.

But switching to non-skinny jeans doesn’t mean you have to give up your favourite footwear. You can still wear black boots with flares and ballet flats with slouchy jeans. If you ask me, they’ll look even better. But there are a few types of footwear that pair especially well with a less fitted denim style.

Scroll on to find out what shoe styles to buy, now that old mum jeans are “in” and skinnies — the new mum jeans — are “out.”

Fancy Shoes

There’s no shoe-jean partnership more visually satisfying than a pair of baggy, light-wash jeans paired with a fancy, colourful shoe. There’s something about the high-low mix that makes a cusper like me — someone who loves both Carrie’s Sex And The City shoe collection and Depop’s vintage denim selection — excited to wear jeans, even in quarantine.

**Mango** Feather leather sandals, $, available at Mango

**Zara** Lace Up High Heel Rhinestone Shoes, $, available at Zara

**KG KURT GEIGER** Sky, $, available at Kurt Geiger

**Manolo Blahnik** Araspemu 50 Leather Mules, $, available at Net-A-Porter

**Billini** Balton Heel, $, available at The Iconic

**Senso** Trina Heel, $, available at The Iconic

Chunky Loafers

With skinny jeans, loafers had a tendency to feel outdated. But, with slouchy jeans and an added heel or two-tone colourway, these former prep school styles become surprisingly cool. Don’t believe us? Just check social media, where loafers are impossible to miss.

**Vagabond** Cosmo 2.0 Loafer, $, available at Vagabond

**Reformation** Agathea Chunky Loafer, $, available at Reformation

**& Other Stories** Chunky Leather Tassle Loafers, $, available at & Other Stories

**Tony Bianco** Ruiz Loafer, $, available at The Iconic

**Jil Sander** Ruched Leather Loafers, $, available at Matches Fashion

Clogs

Whether they’re Birkenstock-style clogs (or the high-fashion equivalent by JW Anderson) or cottagecore-esque rubber alternatives that are perfect for gardening, clogs of all shapes and styles are a comfortable and chic sidekick for your non-skinny jeans. There’s something very satisfying about the way slouchy jeans just fall on top of them, the rounded toe popping out ever so slightly. And for a dressier, more put-together alternative, dare I suggest a wooden heel?

**Mango** Studded leather clog, $, available at Mango

**Birkenstock** Boston Vegan, $, available at Birkenstock

**Arket** Low Wooden Sole Clogs, $, available at Arket

**Birkenstock** Boston Sandal, $, available at The Iconic

**JW Anderson** Buckled Leather-Trimmed Felt Slippers, $, available at Net-A-Porter

**Crocs** Classic Clog, $, available at Crocs

Trainers

Yes, you can wear trainers with non-skinny jeans. Just opt for athletic pairs that have a chunkier sole — something with a little more height.

**ASICS** GEL-KAYANO 14 Women’s, $, available at Size?

**Saye** Modelo ’89 Vegan Lima, $, available at Saye Brand

**New Balance** Unisex 530, $, available at New Balance

**New Balance** 574 Sneakers, $, available at The Iconic

**Vans** Old Skool Suede, $, available at The Iconic

Platform Shoes

With the return of Y2K trends, platform heels have become the must-have shoe of 2022. Even if many of us have relegated heels for good amid the pandemic, platforms are the best remedy to combat the collective disdain for uncomfortable, tall shoes.