This Color Shoe Will Match Anything You Wear
Have you ever asked, “What color shoes do I wear with this?”? There’s one color shoe that will look good with almost any outfit you wear. That’s a big statement to make, I know. But, finding the best color shoe for your outfit might only require you to look in the mirror.
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Cardigan: Nordstrom-Plus; Nordstrom-Misses (sold out); (similar), (similar plus size)
Top: Target – Universal Thread
Denim: old (similar)
Booties: Eileen Fisher
Earrings: Nordstrom
What Color Shoes Do I Wear With…?
Some outfits are EASY to match with shoes. You can pull one of the colors out of your gorgeous floral dress or printed blouse and add that same color shoes for a pop of color. You know you want to wear a black dress and tights with your black block heel pumps to create a long, lean monochromatic look.
We also know that nude shoes, whatever nude is for your skin tone, is a wardrobe staple. And who can resist a pair of leopard print shoes? They’re almost a neutral now.
But we’ve all had that dress, blouse or pair of pants that have left us asking, “But, what color shoes do I wear with this?” The answer isn’t complicated, so I won’t bore you any longer with ALL THE WORDS…
THIS Color Shoes Will Match Any Outfit
Shoes the same color or tone as your hair will match almost anything you wear!
I’m serious! I can’t remember where I learned this, but it would explain why some of my past favorites were a rusty brown cognac color from when my hair was brassy, brown. And why I’m currently amassing an extensive collection of taupe and camel colored shoes. I’m also starting to become attracted to more ashy, gray-toned shoes. Hmmm. Hello, salt and pepper new growth. 😉
Your feet and your head are the bookends for your outfit.
Why It Works
Wearing shoes the same color as your hair works because it creates balance to the entire look. Your hair and your head are like bookends for your outfit. So, when they are same shade, it just works. There’s no need to get super matchy, matchy. Shoes in the same general color family will work. Still not sure what I mean?
My friend Cathy from The Middle Page provides a perfect example of how this works with her rusty red hair.
You can see how Cathy’s shoes and hair balance her look
photo courtesy of The Middle Page Blog
This Color Shoe Will Match Anything You Wear
No need to get crazy matching your hair color exactly. If you get the tone and level of color close, it will work. I’ve put together these color collections to help get you started.
Blondes
Blondes can wear shoes in the white color family. That would include bone, tan and champagne. You may be able to cross into light grays if the color level is similar to your hair color.
Strawberry Blondes, could your hue possibly be rose gold? Lucky ducks!!!
Shop Shoes for Blonde Hair
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Light Brown Hair
Those with light brown hair can search for shoes labeled as cognac, caramel, and light brown. Camel might be an option if you tend to have yellow undertones and the color level is close. Remember, BOOKENDS! 😉
Shop Shoes for Light Brown Hair
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Dark Brown Hair
Dark brown haired beauties can wear rich brown shades on their feet. Cocoa, Java, and chestnut. They look as delicious as they sound. If your hair is nearly black, black shoes can be your signature color. The rest of us can obviously pull off black shoes, but they will not create the head/toe balance they do on YOU.
Shop Shoes for Dark Brown Hair
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Red Hair
Okay, you feisty redheads, you have lots of choices that aren’t really red. Most natural redheads have brown undertones so some of the colors you look good in cross over into the light brown hair category. Cognac shoes are my favorite, and they look GREAT on YOU!
If you dye your hair red or have special red-ish tints put in it, your color choices will differ… obviously.
Shop Shoes for Red Hair
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Gray-haired Lovelies, you have lots of options based on the individual tones in your natural hair color. You are another color that has tones that could cross into the blonde hair shoe colors too. Taupe, silver, gray and champagne could be great on you depending on your hair colors. Look at the overall tone of your hair when choosing your ashy colored shoes keeping to mind you want to create the bookend balance we talked about earlier.
Shop Shoes for Gray Hair
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Did You Find Any New Shoes?
You can obviously wear any color shoes you want with whatever you want to wear them with. But when you’re stuck, this is an excellent place to start.
Have you ever heard this tip? And do you already have a closet full of shoes the same color as your hair or do you need to go shopping?
Shoe shopping is the best shopping!
Enjoy!
Paula
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I like the idea of matching the shoes to the hair color. I never thought of that. I like the example you provided with Cathy. Thanks for sharing.
Author
If you follow Cathy on Instagram, you’ll see that she uses this principle often. I don’t know if she does it on purpose or not, but it’s styling brillance.;-)
Paula
This makes so much sense, and totally explains why I’m always drawn to a caramel colour shoe…. light brown hair 🙂 Thanks SO much for this tip!!
Author
You’re welcome, Heide. Often times I would tell my manicure/pedicure clients that the colors they were constantly being drawn to are the ones that look the best on us. I reckon this can apply to shoes too.
That makes so much sense!! I’ll be paying attention to this tip in the future!
Author
I’ll be interested to hear if you can see the difference in the outfits you put together using this style principle.
🙂
Paula
I guess that’s why I lean towards cognac colors. Maybe the bolyage helps me diversify too 😉
Author
I still definitely lean toward cognac. It’s such a pretty and grounding color for leather accessories.
😉
Paula
well how about that. I would’ve never thought to match with hair color. Since I’m currently half brown, half gray my options are bigger…lol
Author
Ha! I’m thinking that to truly balance my look, I’m going to have to go with the color at the tippy top of my head, which is ash right now. So, I guess I’m going to need to pick up more greige shoes. Shucks! 😉
Hugs,
Paula
And if you’re not blonde but not light brown either? Kind of in between. Do I get to pick from either category? Yay!
Author
That sounds like a taupe color to me Gina. 😉
Paula
I love this! I have never thought of it, but it makes so much sense! Now I need to go shopping. My hair is silvery gray and I don’t have a single pair of gray shoes!
Author
Yes indeed, time to go shopping!
Have fun and don’t tell your hubs I MADE you do it.
Paula
This is genius!!!! And thank you for including women of color. Your statement about nude colors is so so so appreciated. Now to go look at my closet and reconsider outfits that I’ve kept tucked away because I wasn’t sure about the shoe pairing.
Author
Ahh yes! It drives me crazy when the color “nude” is lumped into one “category”. Within any ethnicity, a truly nude color can vary too. And matching to our hair is so balancing. I’m thinking that since the tippy top of my head is now a very ashy color, grays will have to be my go-to IF I don’t have any other color I want to wear.
Hugs,
Paula
This is genius! Explains why I liked browns and cognacs when I had red hair and taupe now that I’m blonde/grey.
Author
Thanks, Fonda. Some inner part of us is screaming for balance and at least we can achieve it visually. 😉
This is brilliant!
If you are cool toned do you need to stay in the cool toned and vise versa for if you are warm toned, or does this work just as well with either warm/cool colours?
Thank you for this!!
Author
I think you should work with the hair color you have at the moment. If your skin is cool but you have a warm hair color, go with warm. You want to create bookends, with your hair and your shoes.
Or another tip would be, to wear a shoe tge color if something else in you outfit. Match belt to shoes or shirt to shoes to create a color “sandwich”. 😉
Hope that helps.
Hugs,
Paula