Suited and Booted: The Perfect Trouser and Shoe Colour Combinations



If you’ve recently bought a piece of bespoke tailoring, the quintessential next step is getting the footwear right. The wrong colour of shoes for your trousers can ruin the finished look of your perfectly fitting suit. However, the right pair of shoes can really offset your entire outfit; making the difference between fashion fail and triumph. To help you get it right, here are our top tips to the ultimate trouser and shoe combinations.

Black Trousers

The basic rule here is black trousers = black shoes. You might be forgiven for thinking brown shoes can add a personal touch to an outfit, but for smart suit material, black on black is always best.

Navy Trousers

One of the worst fashion errors a man can make is teaming navy trousers with black shoes. Sure, the difference might not look so stark in your mirror, but believe us when we say this isn’t a good look. For navy trousers, brown shoes look best or, if you’re looking to have a completely slick look, a smart navy brogue.

Grey Trousers

Grey trousers are the perfect buy and are incredibly versatile. Teamed with black shoes, they look polished and sharp. Our top fashion tip here if you are planning on teaming your grey suit with black shoes, stick to a white or black short and a neutral colour tie. However, if you want something slightly more relaxed, a grey suit can look fantastic with a pair of brown shoes. These work better if you were teaming your grey suit with more colourful shirts, such as blues or pinks. The end result is a great summer wedding look.

Brown Trousers

If you’ve decided on brown trousers for your bespoke suit, brown shoes are your number one option. For a truly classic look, make sure the brown shoes you team them with aren’t the same shade as the trousers. For example, if your suit is a lighter brown colour, go for a dark chestnut shoe. However, if your suit is a darker shade of brown, a tan shoe is the best choice for a smart style statement.