Practical guide
What Shoes Should I Wear?
Choose by walking, weather, surface, outfit and dress code.
The right shoes are the pair that suit the day you are actually going to have. Start with how far you will walk, the surface underfoot, the weather and the dress code. Then choose the pair that works best with your outfit.
If you are stuck between two pairs, comfort and practicality should usually break the tie. A shoe that looks perfect but becomes painful, slippery or impractical after 20 minutes is probably the wrong shoe.
What shoes should I wear? The quick answer
| If you’re… | Start with… |
|---|---|
| Walking all day | Comfortable sneakers, supportive sandals, flat boots or proven loafers |
| Wearing jeans | Sneakers, loafers, boots, sandals or dressier flats |
| Wearing tailored trousers | Loafers, leather shoes, flats, boots or heels |
| Wearing a casual dress | Sneakers, sandals, flats, loafers or boots |
| Dressing smart casual | Loafers, clean sneakers, boots, polished flats or low heels |
| Going to a cocktail event | Dress shoes, loafers, elegant flats, heels, slingbacks or refined sandals |
| Going somewhere formal | Polished leather shoes, formal loafers, elegant flats, heels or evening sandals |
| Standing on grass | Flats, loafers, wedges or block heels rather than narrow heels |
| Going out in rain | Water-tolerant shoes with useful grip |
| Travelling | One comfortable walking shoe plus a smarter pair only if you need one |
That is the basic decision. Everything else is refinement.
A simple way to choose the right shoes
Before worrying about trends or whether one shoe is technically more fashionable than another, ask these five questions:
- How much walking or standing will I do?
- What surface will I be on?
- What is the weather doing?
- How formal is the occasion?
- Do the shoes work with the clothes I am wearing?
The order matters.
If you are walking all day, comfort matters more than whether another pair looks marginally better. If you are attending a formal dinner and barely walking at all, the dress code can carry more weight.
If you will be walking a lot
For sightseeing, airports, shopping, commuting, festivals or a day spent moving between venues, start with footwear you already know you can comfortably wear.
Good options include:
- comfortable sneakers
- supportive sandals
- flat boots
- loafers you have already walked in
- other flat or low-heeled shoes that fit properly
You do not automatically need running shoes. A simple leather sneaker, supportive sandal or comfortable loafer may do the same practical job while working better with the rest of your clothes.
The Australian Podiatry Association’s footwear advice notes that there is no single perfect shoe. Shoes need to fit properly, provide suitable support for the activity and not hurt your feet.
That is more useful than choosing footwear purely by category.
Which shoes should I choose for an outdoor event?
Look down before you look in the mirror.
Grass, gravel, sand, mud, cobblestones and uneven paths can make an otherwise appropriate shoe frustrating to wear.
A garden wedding is the obvious example. A narrow heel might suit the dress perfectly but sink into the lawn every time you take a step.
Better options may include:
- block heels
- wedges
- dressy flats
- loafers
- low boots
- polished sandals
For a beach event, choose something you can walk in naturally on sand rather than spending the entire event fighting your shoes.
The surface is part of the dress code whether the invitation mentions it or not. If weather could affect the event, check the Bureau of Meteorology before you leave.
What shoes should I wear casually?
Casual footwear includes far more than running shoes and thongs.
Depending on your clothes and what you are doing, useful choices include:
- sneakers
- sandals
- loafers
- ballet flats
- flat boots
- casual leather shoes
- boat shoes
The useful distinction is often between a shoe that looks like part of the outfit and one that looks primarily designed for sport.
Running shoes can be exactly right when you are exercising or doing serious walking. For lunch, shopping or an ordinary night out, a cleaner everyday sneaker, loafer, sandal or flat may make the clothes look more intentional without making them less comfortable.
What shoes can I wear with most outfits?
If you want a small number of shoes that cover a lot of situations, versatility matters more than owning every possible style.
For many wardrobes, the most useful options are a clean everyday sneaker, a loafer or simple flat shoe, an ankle boot for cooler weather and a sandal for warm weather. You may then need one genuinely formal pair depending on your work and social life.
The exact mix depends on what you actually wear. Someone who lives in dresses may get more use from flats and sandals; someone who wears jeans and trousers most days may rely more heavily on sneakers, loafers and boots.
The aim is not to own the theoretical perfect shoe collection. It is to have several pairs that repeatedly work with your real clothes.
What shoes should I wear for smart casual?
Footwear is one of the easiest ways to move an outfit into smart casual.
Useful options include:
- clean understated sneakers
- loafers
- leather lace-ups
- ankle boots
- polished flats
- low or block heels
- dressier sandals
The shoes do not need to be formal. They need to look deliberate and reasonably polished.
This is why the same jeans can look very casual with running shoes and noticeably smarter with loafers or a simple leather sneaker.
What shoes should I wear for cocktail?
At a cocktail event, footwear should generally look as considered as the rest of the outfit.
That might mean:
- heels
- elegant flats
- slingbacks
- polished loafers
- leather dress shoes
- dress boots
- refined sandals
High heels are not compulsory, and neither is one particular type of men’s dress shoe.
The useful question is whether the footwear belongs at roughly the same level of formality as the clothes above it.
What shoes should I wear to a formal event?
For a formal dress code, move towards simpler lines, polished materials and shoes that clearly belong with occasionwear.
Options include:
- classic leather dress shoes
- formal loafers
- elegant flats
- heels
- dressy slingbacks
- refined evening sandals
Ordinary running shoes, thongs and visibly worn everyday footwear usually pull a formal outfit too far towards casual.
If the invitation itself is confusing, start with How to Work Out What a Dress Code Really Means.
What shoes should I wear with jeans?
Jeans work with an unusually wide range of footwear because the shoes can change the formality of the whole outfit.
| Shoes with jeans | How the outfit tends to read |
|---|---|
| Running shoes | Practical and very casual |
| Clean sneakers | Relaxed everyday |
| Sandals | Warm-weather casual |
| Loafers | Smart casual |
| Ankle boots | Polished casual |
| Ballet flats or slingbacks | Neat, refined casual |
| Heels | Dressier casual |
If your jeans feel too casual for where you are going, changing the footwear may be enough. You do not necessarily need to change the jeans.
What shoes should I wear with trousers?
Start with how formal the trousers are.
Relaxed linen or cotton trousers can work with sandals, sneakers, loafers, espadrilles or flats.
Tailored trousers generally sit more naturally with loafers, polished sneakers, leather shoes, boots, flats or heels.
With wide-leg trousers, pay particular attention to length. The hem needs to work with the actual shoes you are wearing rather than dragging on the ground or disappearing under your heel.
What shoes should I wear with a dress?
There is no rule that says a dress needs heels.
A casual dress can work with sneakers, flat sandals, ballet flats, loafers or ankle boots.
A smarter dress might work better with polished flats, slingbacks, block heels, loafers or dressier sandals.
Formal dresses generally call for more refined footwear, but comfort still matters.
Think about the occasion and the character of the dress, rather than automatically matching every dress to one prescribed type of shoe.
Do chunky shoes or slim shoes work better?
Neither is automatically better. Look at the visual weight of the rest of the outfit.
Chunkier shoes often sit comfortably with:
- wide-leg trousers
- relaxed denim
- heavier fabrics
- substantial outerwear
- looser silhouettes
Slimmer or more refined shoes often work naturally with:
- tailored trousers
- fine fabrics
- sleeker dresses
- more formal clothing
These are not body-shape rules. They are simply a way of balancing the visual weight of the clothes and shoes.
Do my shoes need to match my clothes?
No.
Shoes need to work with the outfit. They do not need to match one garment exactly.
Black, brown, tan, cream, navy and white footwear can all function almost like wardrobe neutrals, depending on your clothes.
A contrasting shoe can work too. Red shoes with denim and white, for example, can become the deliberate focal point of an otherwise simple outfit.
If the colour problem is broader than the shoes, see What Colours Go Together?
For more specific combinations between footwear and clothing, see How to Match Shoes With Your Clothes.
Should I wear black or brown shoes?
Both are versatile.
Black generally reads slightly sharper and more formal. Brown and tan often feel softer and more relaxed.
For example, a navy suit with black leather shoes usually feels more formal than the same suit with medium-brown shoes.
In casual clothing, the distinction matters much less. Brown shoes can work with navy, denim, olive, cream, grey and many other colours. Black can work with far more than black trousers.
Choose according to the complete outfit rather than an old rule about which colours are supposedly allowed together.
Do sneakers go with everything?
No — but they go with a lot.
Clean everyday sneakers can work with jeans, chinos, casual trousers, skirts, casual dresses and many smart-casual outfits.
The important distinction is between sports shoes designed primarily for exercise and casual sneakers designed to be part of an everyday outfit.
There is overlap, but an obviously technical running shoe usually makes an outfit read more casually than a simple everyday sneaker.
What shoes should I wear in hot weather?
Warm weather makes breathability and comfort more important.
Depending on where you are going, useful choices include:
- sandals
- lightweight sneakers
- loafers
- espadrilles
- flats
- lightweight leather shoes
If you will be walking all day, do not choose a flimsy sandal purely because it looks cooler. A supportive sneaker may still be the better hot-weather shoe.
See What to Wear in Hot Weather for the rest of the outfit.
What shoes should I wear in the rain?
In rain, ask two questions:
- Will these shoes tolerate getting wet?
- Do they have useful grip?
Mesh sneakers, delicate suede and shoes with very smooth soles can become frustrating quickly in sustained wet weather.
For light rain, ordinary leather shoes, boots or water-resistant sneakers may be enough. For a properly wet day, choose footwear that can handle puddles and still be comfortable afterwards.
Our What to Wear in the Rain guide covers the full problem, including warm and wind-driven Australian rain.
What shoes should I pack for a holiday?
Most people need fewer pairs than they initially want to pack.
A useful travel combination is:
- one comfortable walking shoe
- one warm-weather or relaxed option if the destination needs it
- one smarter pair only if your itinerary includes occasions that require them
The more jobs each pair can perform, the easier the suitcase becomes.
A comfortable leather sneaker, for example, may work for sightseeing, airports and casual dinners.
Before packing another pair, ask: where will I actually wear these?
If you cannot name the occasion, they probably do not need to come.
See How to Pack Light Without Running Out of Clothes for the broader packing strategy.
What type of shoes should I wear if my feet hurt?
Do not treat persistent foot pain as a styling problem.
For everyday shoe choice, start with footwear that fits properly, does not cause pain and is suitable for the activity you are doing.
The Australian Podiatry Association has practical advice on footwear, fit and choosing shoes for different activities.
If footwear repeatedly causes pain or you have an ongoing foot problem, personalised advice from an appropriate health professional is more useful than a general fashion rule.
Test new shoes before an important event
A wedding, conference, long dinner or holiday is not the ideal first proper test of a new pair.
New shoes should feel comfortable when you buy them rather than requiring days of painful “breaking in”. The Australian Podiatry Association specifically advises against buying shoes that need breaking in.
Even so, it is sensible to wear a new pair at home or on a short outing before relying on them for an important day. Walk, stand and sit in them long enough to find out whether they rub, slip or become uncomfortable.
If the shoes already hurt during a short test, hoping they will somehow become comfortable six hours into an event is not a particularly good strategy.
Which shoes should I choose when two pairs both work?
Use this order:
- Which pair can I comfortably wear for the whole day or event?
- Which pair works better with the ground and weather?
- Which pair better fits the dress code?
- Which pair makes the outfit look more coherent?
If the first three answers point to the same pair, stop there.
The tiny styling difference between two otherwise suitable shoes is rarely worth a blister, a ruined suede shoe or spending an outdoor wedding sinking into the grass.
The simplest rule
Choose shoes for the day you are actually going to have.
If you are walking for six hours, choose for six hours of walking. If you are standing on grass, choose for grass. If it is raining, wear shoes that can handle getting wet. If you are going to an elegant restaurant, choose something polished enough for the room.
The best shoes are not automatically the dressiest, newest or most fashionable pair.
They are the pair that let you get through the day comfortably while still making sense with your clothes and where you are going.
For more practical wardrobe decisions, browse our Practical Guides to Getting Dressed.
